High School DxD: Rise of The Solar God
by WarriorMan199456
Summary: AU. Every hero has a beginning. The path of a hero is forever determined by the events he is placed in. In this Universe, the life and destiny of Issei Hyoudou is determined by a much different origin. Strong!Non-Perverted!Powerful!Heroic-Neutral! Issei. Pairing: Issei x Ophis x Unwanted Harem. Contains many elements from Dragon Ball Z & Bleach.
1. A Strong Yet Young Presence

The Sun.

It was virtually one of the most powerful sources of energy in the Universe.

While it was certainly not the greatest and omnipotent source of all, it was potent nonetheless.

It represented the conscious ego, the self and expression, personal power, pride, authority; leadership qualities; and the principles of creativity, spontaneity, health, and vitality.

The Sun itself had the potential ability to inflate and implode upon itself, commencing the destruction of a Class 5 or X Apocalypse. The severity of the sun was like a nuclear furnace that provided as the colossal source of energy for many light years in any direction.

In the ancient times, the Sun was revered as a deity, or an object of divine origins. The goddess of the Sun; Amaterasu, was the one who shined in the heavens.

**Amaterasu-o-mi-kami** was the supreme goddess of Shintoism, and the ruler of the Plain of Heaven. As she floated above the skies, bringing light back into the world, the goddess adopted a thoughtful look on her face.

The goddess of the Sun had long jet-black hair that reached all the way down to her waist. Her eyes maintained an almond shape and a deep brown-black color, and she had a pale skin complexion.

As she looked down from the sky, there appeared to be a baby clutched protectively in her arms. The infant was sleeping softly in his mother's arms, completely peaceful.

Amaterasu tilted her head and placed her hand gently on her infant son. Immediately after, an aura of solar energy whirled around the baby. The infant's body began to glow in intensity, until his skin gained a much lighter tone. His hair began to rise up slightly and gain a reddish-purple shade of coloring, before his hair returned to a light brown color.

The Sun, and as well as its nigh-infinite solar energy output, was used and manipulated by Amaterasu in order to conceive the child in her arms. As a result, the child had no physical father, but instead he was created from the vast energies of the Sun, and the goddess of the Sun herself.

Amaterasu smiled as she felt the power of her son grow. She looked around the trenches of the sky, and then she sighed as she looked back to her son, who was still sleeping peacefully.

"My little sun. As much as I would like to take care of you...you cannot stay here. I wish I could keep you here with me, but with your dreadful uncle Susanoo, along with the disturbance of this dysfunctional world, I do not want to risk anything."

**Susanoo-no-Mikoto**, the god of the sea and storms and the younger brother of Amaterasu, was known for his temper. Amaterasu never forgot the time when Susanoo himself destroyed her rice fields, hurled that damn pony at her loom, and decimated one of her attendants. These acts were the reason for Amaterasu hiding herself in the Ama-no-Iwato (Heavenly Rock Cave). This caused the sun to fade away, and as a result, life forces began to deteriorate. Eventually, Amaterasu was persuaded to leave the cave, and from that point on the sun returned to its mighty force in the Universe.

Amaterasu knew of Susanoo's temper. Due to the being she had conceived from the sun, Susanoo would no doubt want to challenge and bring forth her infant's power, due to the Shinto God's infamous temper and impulsive jealous nature.

But the presence of her brother wasn't the _only_ reason she was making her choice. Susanoo was a mild nuisance compared to the other reason.

"I do not want you to suffer in this world, my sweet. This world is far too dangerous for you to be involved with."

As she watched over the sky, she looked down to see an explosive and flame-like aura covering her son entirely. Amaterasu smiled warmly, and a series of solar flares began to cover her body entirely as she disappeared.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ise Shrine located in Ise City, Honshū, Japan<strong>_

Amaterasu reappeared with her son and looked around the inner shrine. The Ise Grand Shrine was a Shinto shrine that was dedicated to Amaterasu. The shrine consisted of two groups of buildings:** the Imperial Shrine (Kotai Jingu)**, also known as the **Naiku (Inner shrine)**, and the **Toyouke Shrine (Toyouke Daijingu)** which forms the Geku or outer shrine.

The shrines were constructed of wood, and every twenty years both were rebuilt. The empty site of the previous shrine also known as the kodenchi was strewn by white pebbles. The building on the empty site, was a small wooden shed.

The goddess of the sun frowned softly as she walked over to the mirror which was the cause of her leaving the Heavenly Rock Cave. As she looked at her reflection for the second time, she tilted her head, and looked down at her son.

With a saddened look, she laid her infant down onto the ground of the Ise Shrine and crouched down to him, gazing at him lovingly. Her eyes watering slightly, she gave her son a warm loving kiss on his forehead, and she gently rubbed his hair.

"I love you. So, so much." Amaterasu cooed before teleporting away.

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of the Ise Shrine<strong>

A couple walked towards the Ise Shrine, carrying new clothing and food. The man had spiky brown hair and brown eyes, while the woman had long brown hair in a pony tail, and warm brown eyes. The two were known as Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou. Married for several years, they had no children, living only by themselves.

Mr. Hyoudou was an ordinary office worker, while Mrs. Hyoudou was a full-time housewife. They had both come to Ise City in order to honor the sun goddess known as Amaterasu. As they walked inside the shrine, the Hyoudou couple paused in their steps as they heard something strange.

"Uwah...wah...WAHHHHHHH!"

The Hyoudou couple turned to see an infant crying on the floor. Mrs. Hyoudou walked closer to the infant, and her brown eyes softened. A baby with brown hair struggling to lift himself off the floor.

"A-a baby?! What's he doing here in the shrine?!" Mrs. Hyoudou muttered out as she gently picked up the baby.

Mr. Hyoudou walked over to his wife, and rose an eyebrow.

"Did someone leave him here?"

Mrs. Hyoudou didn't respond as she looked at the baby more closely. The infant was absolutely adorable, and so pure. She widened her eyes as she witnessed the infant suddenly gaining a golden aura around him. Then the aura changed to a flame-like reddish aura, which seemed to explode outwardly, causing the ground of the Ise Shrine to shake.

Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou widened their eyes as they struggled to balance themselves. The aura suddenly faded away, allowing the Hyoudous to regain their balance, and they looked at the infant curiously, and a little bit of awe. Mrs. Hyoudou rose an eyebrow as she clutched the baby.

"What on earth just happened?"

The infant stopped his crying, and he opened his eyes, prompting the Hyoudou couple to widen their eyes together.

"Mitsuru, his eyes! They're..." Mrs. Hyoudou stuttered.

Mr. Hyoudou walked over to look at the baby, and he rubbed his head in puzzlement.

"It's strange. He looks like he could be our son, Sachiko. But those eyes of his..."

The Hyoudou couple looked around the shrine, in hope of trying to find who the infant belonged to. But as they looked around more, they didn't find anyone in sight. Mrs. Hyoudou sighed as she looked back at the infant.

"It's as though someone left him here. And as far as I know, we were the only ones to come to the shrine today. Should we...take him home with us?"

Mr. Hyoudou tilted his head, and he looked closer at the infant.

"Well, it's like I said. He looks just like us. That's strange."

The Hyoudous looked at each other, and then they looked back the infant.

"What should we name him?" Mr. Hyoudou asked.

Mrs. Hyoudou looked around her surroundings, and then she smiled.

"Ise. We'll call him Issei."

"We're calling him Issei? You mean after the shrine?" Mr. Hyoudou asked.

The female Hyoudou smiled warmly at the newly named infant, and she hugged him close to her.

"Hmm. That's right. Our little Issei..."

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of Heaven<strong>

A handsome-looking young man with long blonde hair and green eyes, and twelve golden glowing wings jutting out from his back, widened his eyes as he suddenly sensed a godly surge of energy. The energy he felt...it was though it was akin to the power of the sun. The great amount of solar energy he was feeling...it was absolutely monstrous.

"Michael? Do you feel that power as well?"

Michael, the leader of the Angels and the Seraphim, turned around to see an extremely beautiful woman with curly blonde hair and a voluptuous figure.

"So you sensed it as well, Gabriel."

Gabriel, an Angel and a Seraph, also one of the guardians of the Throne of Heaven, put her hand on her chest, and smiled as she felt the great power surge.

"This power. It's so vast and overwhelming...but at the same time...it's so pristine. It brings me such warmth. Like the sun..."

Michael's green eyes widened again, and he turned back around as he sensed the overwhelming pressure. As the first creation of the Biblical God, Michael didn't expect to sense a great surge of power like this, a power that was akin to the sun.

"Where is this power coming from?"

* * *

><p><strong>In the Underworld<strong>

A man in his twenties with black hair and golden bangs looked up in amusement as he suddenly sensed a great power.

"Hmm. What's this?"

A monstrous power had suddenly risen out of nowhere, and it piqued the man's interest greatly.

"Maybe I'll keep an eye on this. _This_ should be interesting."

* * *

><p>"Sirzechs-sama. Do you sense it?"<p>

A handsome and young man in his early 20's with shoulder length crimson-red hair and blue-green eyes, nodded in response as he looked over to see a maid with silver hair and matching eyes.

"Yes Grayfia, I do. It's a very unique surge of power. Enormous even. And it seems to be constantly rising as well. I wonder who possesses that power."

* * *

><p><strong>5 Years Later (At an Elementary School)<strong>

"Ew! He's so weird!"

"What's wrong with your eyes?!"

"Who'd want to be friends with you?!"

A six year old Issei Hyoudou looked down shyly as he walked away from the kids during break time. He sat on the school bench and watched as the kids played around the playground. Recess had just started, and already, the kids were harassing him.

Issei was a very soft-spoken, shy, yet kind child. Despite that, he was a very quiet boy, as he rarely spoke to anyone. With his quiet nature and shy demeanor, people often labeled Issei as a mute child. The little boy never once wanted to play with the kids around his age, seeing as they made of fun of his particular aspect of his very being.

His eyes.

His left eye was a soft and warm almond light-brown color, while the right eye was a bright yellow-orange shade. Issei was often ostracized due to the different colors of his eyes. And so, he chose to stay only to himself.

But sadly, Issei couldn't catch a break.

As he sat on the bench, Issei looked over to see a couple of boys walking towards him. Looking at them cautiously, he moved off of the bench and went to go somewhere else, until one of the boys appeared in front of him. The little Issei stopped and stood still, waiting for the verbal bullying to begin.

Although Issei had been bullied, he chose to endure through it all. He didn't particular have any wish for 'payback', as he knew it was just a waste of his own time. But very slowly, the bullying was starting to get on his nerves. The name-calling, he could handle. Hell, even isolation he could handle. But physical confrontation was something that he never experienced before.

Let's find out what happens, shall we?

"Hey, weirdo, where do you think you're going?" one of the boys asked.

Issei ignored them and just stood still. He wasn't going to bother in speaking to the boys.

"What's wrong, weirdo? Cat got your tongue?"

There was still no response from the brown-haired little boy, and one of the boys narrowed his eyes.

"Hey! We're talking to you, dummy!"

The boy rose his fist up and landed a punch to Issei's head. Suddenly, a golden-flame like aura manifested around Issei, and it flared out explosively.

"AHHHH!"

The kids playing on the playground turned to see who was screaming, and they gasped. The boy who had attempted to punch Issei suddenly recoiled and drew his hand back in shock. The boy's hand was burning profusely as a result of the contact of Issei's aura. The boys, frightened from the scene they witnessed, quickly ran away, cursing Issei's name.

If they had turned around to look back at Issei, they would have seen a greatly pained and saddened expression on the little boy's face.

* * *

><p><strong>2 Hours Later<strong>

"Issei. Let's go out for some ice cream, okay sweetie?"

Sachiko Hyoudou looked down at her son as they walked hand in hand towards the store. She had found out about the incident between Issei and one of his bullies, and to be perfectly frank, she was just concerned about Issei.

She knew how Issei suffered at school due to his unique eye coloration. However, she and Mr. Hyoudou accepted that quality about Issei. But they also noticed, that as Issei grew, so did a few a quirks of his.

The Hyoudou couple noticed the changes in Issei as the days passed by. When the Sun was up, Issei was noticeably more lively. Not cheerful, yet not melancholic either. He seemed to have a lot of physical energy for a little boy. When the Sun was down however, Issei seemed to be a little reclusive, waiting for the Sun to come back up.

As she went to the ice cream parlor, Mrs. Hyoudou looked down to her son.

"We're here, honey. What flavor did you want?"

Issei looked up at the categories and tilted his head. Scanning the list, the little boy lifted his finger and pointed to the desired flavor. Mrs. Hyoudou followed her son's direction, and she smiled.

"Did you want Mint Chocolate Chip, sweetie?"

Issei nodded in response. Mrs. Hyoudou smiled and directed Issei to sit on the nearby bench.

As he waited for his mother to order the ice cream, Issei looked around his surroundings, and looked up to see the Sun. He never understood why, but the Sun gave Issei so much energy and warmth. No matter how hot the Sun was, or how much the temperature was, Issei could always endure it.

As he looked back around, Issei jumped in surprise at the sight that had suddenly appeared in his direction. Sitting next to him on the bench, was a tall woman with long black hair and dark-gray empty eyes. She had pale-white skin and pointed ears, and appeared to be dressed in a Gothic Lolita fashion.

What creeped out Issei the most, was that the woman was staring at him with a hollow gaze, completely devoid of emotion and expression.

As Issei gazed at the woman with cautious eyes, his eyes unintentionally moved down to see two large orbs of flesh that seemed to be barely covered by cross-shaped black tapes.

The young Issei felt his face redden at the sight of the woman's abundant chest, and he attempted to look away as he scooted away from the woman. He looked back at the ice cream parlour to see his mother talking with the cashier.

When the little boy turned back around, he immediately felt a cold hand place itself on the back of his head. His body extremely tense from the invasive touch, Issei looked up and was too late to react as the cold hand pushed him forward, causing the child to be enclosed into the warmth of soft yet bountiful pillows of flesh.

At this point, Issei was frantic as the woman continued to suffocate him with her chest. After a few agonizing moments, his head was finally pulled back, allowing Issei to regain his breath. As he recovered, Issei flinched when the woman suddenly moved so that her face was close to his in a matter of seconds.

Issei started to sweat and tried to back away, before realizing that he was almost at the edge of the bench. Keeping his mouth shut, Issei slowly looked back up at the woman, who still stared at him with her dispassionate gaze.

The woman lifted her finger up, and placed it on Issei's forehead, gently sliding it across his temple. Issei shivered at the woman's touch, and an ominous feeling came over him when he suddenly saw a series of snakes manifest around the woman. One of the snakes crawled onto the terrified Issei and opened its mouth, revealing its fangs.

Issei gasped and tried to move the snake away, before he felt the snake embed its fangs into his neck.

The woman's eyes noticeably narrowed, gaining a more hollow look in them. Suddenly, a familiar explosive and golden sparkling aura manifested around Issei, causing the snake to disintegrate as a result.

The woman widened her dark eyes in an expression akin to surprise, and she removed her finger from Issei's forehead. Issei gained a fearful look in his eyes and he got off of the bench in order to put some distance between him and the woman. The little boy rubbed his sore neck, but there were no physical marks to be seen. As he looked up at his apparent attacker, he felt his nervousness skyrocket at the look the woman was giving him.

Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God, also known as the Ouroboros Dragon, tilted her head at the little boy in front of her. Before leaving the Dimensional Gap, Ophis had sensed a godly source of energy. The power seemed radiant yet enormously vast. The power from this boy seemed to exude a presence not unlike solar energy.

Solar Energy was a source that was often predicted to be limitless, due to the fact that it derived from the Sun. There was no known limits of the amount of light and heat the Sun could produce. With the colossal amount of solar energy within this young boy, the energy could be converted into pure raw power and strength. So long as the Sun remained, of course.

Eerily quiet, Ophis leaned her face closer to the young Issei. Staring at Issei with her dark-gray eyes, Ophis suddenly gave Issei a spine-chilling smile. No sharp teeth. No fangs. The confused Issei could only stay still, not knowing what to do.

The young boy suddenly felt two cold hands placing themselves on his cheeks. Shivering again at the temperature of the woman's hands, Issei looked into Ophis's gray eyes, and felt a little unnerved by the eerie smile on her face.

Moments later, Issei's eyes widened when Ophis puckered her lips out and gently pressed them to his forehead.

"You, belong to me," Ophis stated, her voice monotone, yet deep and sultry, "_My_ little mate."

"Issei!"

At the call of his name, Issei looked up to see his mother holding two ice cream cups. Issei looked in front of him, and gasped when he saw that Ophis had disappeared, as though she was never there to begin with. Trembling a little from the unexpected encounter, Issei almost missed Mrs. Hyoudou handing him his treat.

* * *

><p><strong>Later that Night (In Issei's Room)<strong>

From his bed, Issei looked out the window as he watched the sunset. He never liked it when the Sun descended into the night. But he wasn't afraid of the dark. He just preferred the Sun to be out most of the time.

Closing his eyes, Issei snuggled into his bed, and went into a peaceful sleep. A pure-white magic circle suddenly appeared next to the little Issei's bed, and a silhouette emerged from the circle. The silhouette brightened, revealing Gabriel, the sister of Michael; the leader of the Angels.

Gabriel quietly walked over to the bed which contained the source of the potentially limitless power she had been sensing. She tilted her head as she gazed upon Issei.

'His energy is so unique.'

Both she and Michael had deduced that the power the young Issei was akin to that of the powerful radiation of the Sun. The longer the Sun rose up in the sky, the more powerful Issei became as he grew. The little boy was going to grow into a force to be reckoned with soon enough.

Gabriel tilted her head as she placed her hand on Issei's cheek, rubbing it gently.

"He's so pure. It's strange. I detect an enormous amount of godly solar energy within him. Despite that, he seems so small and so fragile."

The Angel sighed and lowered her head to kiss Issei on his forehead. The pure-white magic circle appeared from under her, and she disappeared once more.

* * *

><p><strong>11 Years Later<strong>

"Hey! I heard we're getting a new student today!"

"Really?!"

"Yeah. I hear it's supposed to be a boy!"

"A boy? What do you think he's going to be like?"

"I heard he's supposed to be as cute as Yuuto Kiba!"

"No way!"

A group of girls gossiped about the new student coming to the school known as Kuoh Academy. Kuoh Academy was originally a all-girls school. Later on, it was formed into a co-ed school, and new school building was made.

Students conversed in the hallways, waiting to go into their classes. Outside of the school, a young man with brown hair walked up to the gates of Kuoh Academy. Dressed in a black blazer with white accents, a white, long-sleeved dress shirt with a black ribbon on the collar, matching black pants, and brown dress shoes, Issei Hyoudou quietly walked up to his new school.

Walking inside the school, he noticed that the hallways were very quiet. As he went to find his first classroom, he failed to notice a girl from above the hallway stairs. Her wavy long crimson hair fell down to her thighs as she looked down at Issei walking away. Her blue-green eyes narrowed as she watched the new student. A mysterious smile formed on her face as she twirled a piece of her hair.

'Very interesting. So he's our new kouhai. Sona will definitely be intrigued with him. Hmm. Yes you're absolutely unique, little kouhai. It's almost strange. His aura is so overwhelming yet untainted.'

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Classroom<strong>

_KNOCK KNOCK_

Pausing in her demonstration, the teacher walked over to the door, and opened it. She let a warm smile pass across her lips, and turned back to look at her class.

"Ok, class. I'm sure you've all heard that we have a new student coming here today. Well you heard right. Here he is, so please welcome him."

Issei Hyoudou nervously walked inside his classroom, trying to avoid the eyes of many students. Immediately, he received a series of unreadable glances from the class.

"Hey. What's with his eyes?" A girl whispered to her friend.

"Are they contacts or something?"

"His eyes look kind of weird."

Issei lowered his head as he listened to the remarks concerning him. Just as he predicted, some of the girls were already giggling in his direction, while some of the males took their time glaring at him. Issei sighed and looked off to the side.

He hadn't even been in his first classroom for less than five minutes, and here he was, already being judged upon. The teacher looked at her new student, and smiled.

"Why don't you introduce yourself? You don't have to be so shy."

Complying with his teacher's suggestion, Issei looked up at the class, and he bowed down in respect.

"H-hello. My name's Issei Hyoudou. I'm new here. So please...take it easy on me."

A number of the girls noticed the soft-spoken and quiet tone in Issei's voice, and they felt a bit confused. The males on the other hand, rose some eyebrows as they noticed Issei's last words.

"Take it easy?" One of them whispered to the other, "What's he talking about?"

The teacher blinked as she too noticed Issei's last words, but she made a smile.

"Why don't you go take a seat?"

A girl suddenly raised her hand from her desk, intending to get Issei's attention.

"Hyoudou-san, over here! You can sit with me."

Issei looked up and saw a black-haired girl with innocent violet eyes. The girl smiled and patted the desk next to her.

Gulping nervously, Issei walked over to the desk, and sat quietly as he listened to the teacher. He noticed some of the students giving him weird looks, most likely about his eyes. Sitting comfortably into his seat, Issei jumped a little when he saw that the girl was looking over at him.

"My name's Yuuma Amano. It's nice to meet a new student as cute as you."

Not expecting the words to come out of Yuuma's mouth, Issei widened his eyes in surprise. Yuuma smiled warmly and looked back to the teacher. Had Issei not turned to look back at the teacher, he would have seen Yuuma looking at him from the side.

'How strange. Azazel-sama told me to watch him. He also told me that this young boy had a...unique energy. But this aura is so ethereal. It's completely untainted. I've never sensed anything like it before.'

She continued to watch Issei with an unreadable look on her face for the rest of the class period.

* * *

><p><strong>End of School<strong>

As he walked out of the school, Issei lowered his head and ignored the many stares from the students of Kuoh Academy.

"His eyes. They're so strange-looking."

"One brown, one yellow-orange. The right eye looks like the color of the sun."

As he tried to ignore the comments about him, Issei walked onto the bridge.

"Issei-kun!"

Blinking in surprise, Issei turned around to see Yuuma running towards him. She smiled at him, and put her hands behind her back.

"I was just wondering. If you wouldn't mind, would you like to hang out sometime?"

Issei blinked several times, and he was about to respond, until he noticed that the Sun was descending slowly. Looking back at Yuuma, Issei lowered his head and sent her a sad expression.

"S-sorry. I have to go. I've got to go back home. I'll see you tomorrow, Yuuma-san." He said quietly.

Yuuma once again noted the soft-spoken tone in Issei's voice, and she felt herself a little captivated by his voice. As she watched Issei leave, Yuuma tilted her head.

'Such a strange boy. It's no wonder why Azazel-sama asked me to watch him.'

* * *

><p>Atop of the building of Kuoh Academy, four young women stood watching Issei depart his new school. One of the girls was the one who watched Issei inside the school.<p>

"Such a very interesting boy. I haven't seen anyone quite like him. He's so quiet and shy it makes me want to hold him or something. His eyes though, really strange."

"Ufffuffu."

A well-endowed girl with black hair tied in a ponytail with an orange ribbon, and violet eyes smiled as she turned to look at her friend.

"Ara ara. Fufufu. He's so mysterious. That aura radiating off of him is so otherworldly. Uffuffu, it makes me want to spoil him so much already just to see his reaction."

The third girl had black hair, which was styled into a bob cut, and strict violet eyes covered by red glasses. She narrowed her eyes as she watched Issei walk away from the school-gates.

"He's certainly deserved my attention. His aura is so utterly clear. I don't think this young boy is even aware of how potent his aura is. Those eyes of his. They've earned him quite the stares from the other students. But he just looks away, albeit in a reclusive manner."

The fourth girl had knee-length black hair with split bangs and light brown eyes covered by blue, semi-rimmed glasses with square lenses. She crossed her arms as her eyes narrowed into a serious look.

"His eyes. They contrast so much. One is brown, like the color of an innocent doe. But the other one has the color of our Sun. Hmm. Such a strange boy."

"Fufufu. Does he interest you that much, fuku-kaichou?" The orange ribbon-wearing girl asked.

"...You misunderstand me." The blue-glasses wearing girl responded as her face developed a pinkish-red tinge.

"Uffuffu. Don't be so embarrassed. You're not the only one who's interested in our little kouhai."

Smiling at the second girl with the orange ribbon in her hair in amusement, the crimson-haired girl tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

"And to think, Azazel has already sent some of his subordinates to watch our new kouhai. Yuuma Amano is proof of that."

Looking down at Yuuma, who continued to watch Issei walk away, the crimson-haired beauty then looked towards Issei, and her blue-green eyes brightened.

"He's so unique. He's pure as light, yet so powerful as the Sun itself. You really are an interesting boy, Issei Hyoudou."

* * *

><p><strong>End of School - Near Issei's House<strong>

Issei sighed as he continued on his way home.

"Well, at least it wasn't too bad today."

His first day at school was actually tolerable than he had anticipated. He didn't have to deal with the bullying or physical confrontation at all. Some of the rumors regarding his eyes, he could handle that already.

Reaching all the way to his house, Issei looked over to see that his parents' cars were gone. Blinking in wonderment, Issei opened the house door and peered inside, widening his eyes at the first thing he saw.

A beautiful girl with long dark-silver hair, which was tied up into a ponytail, and dark-ruby eyes, looked up as she heard the sound of Issei walking into his house.

Issei stared wide-eyed as he gazed at the unreadable look in the girl's eyes. The young man only rose an eyebrow when he noticed a playful looking smirk slowly forming on the girl's face.

The smirk on her face immediately softened into a warm smile as she inwardly sighed happily.

"Fufu. Long time no see, my _dear_ _Ise-itoko_."

* * *

><p><strong>In the Underworld (Base of the Fallen Angels)<strong>

"So, how was he today?"

"He really didn't look anything special, Azazel-sama. He just looked so shy."

Yuuma Amano had her arms behind her back as she answered a man with black hair and golden bangs. Azazel, also known as the leader of the Fallen Angels, crossed his arms in thought. Yuuma looked up hesitatingly, and she tilted her head.

"Azazel-sama. I understand his aura was one of the main reasons you asked me to watch him. But what's the other reason? Do you believe him to have some type of Sacred Gear?"

Azazel hummed as he looked off to the side.

"Hmm. His aura is definitely not human. Only humans and half-humans can wield Sacred Gears. This boy on the other hand, has a godly aura, and its completely inhuman. I highly doubt he possesses one."

Yuuma tilted her head again, and she crossed her arms.

"So does that mean there's a chance he doesn't possess a Sacred Gear?"

"Yep."

Yuuma looked down on the ground, and placed her hands to her side.

"Then how can he be so powerful?"

Both Yuuma and Azazel looked over to see a young woman with navy blue hair and brown eyes. She was dressed in a trench-coat, miniskirt, and black heeled shoes. She also wore a gold necklace around her neck.

Azazel smirked and lifted up a finger.

"To be perfectly blunt, he's actually powerful enough without a Sacred Gear of his own."

Yuuma widened her eyes.

"What do you mean, Azazel-sama?"

The male Fallen Angel smiled in amusement.

"Hmm..."

* * *

><p><strong>Outside Near Some Shopping Centers<strong>

"Leiko-san? What are you doing here?"

Leiko Hyoudou, the adoptive older cousin of Issei, crossed her arms as she sent her crimson eyes towards Issei.

"You don't sound or look happy to see me. Does my Ise-itoko hate me so?"

"N-no, I..." Issei lowered his head and looked away, quickly choosing to keep his mouth shut.

Leiko rose an eyebrow, but she continued to walk forward with Issei. As of now, she had never interacted much with her adoptive cousin. The only time she had seen him was when she and her parents often visited the Hyoudou residence all those years ago.

But even then, it was rare for her to even talk to Issei, let alone get him to talk to her, due to his reclusive nature.

Not unlike her parents, and Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou, Leiko never possessed any ounce of animosity against Issei about the different coloration of his eyes. However, not even she was blind to tell that those eyes were the reason her adoptive cousin was so quiet.

Seeing a nearby bench, Leiko put her arms to her side, and with a wave of her hand, she directed Issei.

"Ise-itoko, over here. Come sit with your cousin."

Issei, noticing Leiko's movement, complied and followed the girl in order to sit on the bench with her. As the cousins looked around the area of the shopping centers, the female of the two crossed her legs.

'He sure is quiet. But I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised.'

"Issei."

Issei turned to look at Leiko in response.

"Huh?"

"You didn't really give me a reply to my earlier statement. You're not mad that I came to visit, are you?"

Issei's eyes softened, and he looked his cousin in the eyes.

"N-no, of course not. I'm not mad at all. It's just that I didn't expect for you to arrive at my house today."

Leiko smiled in response and crossed her arms.

"It's best to keep things interesting. Had you been informed earlier, you probably would have stayed upstairs in your room just to avoid seeing me."

"...That's not true, Leiko-san."

The girl widened her crimson eyes a little, before she smiled and looked off to the side.

"How sweet of you. Well, at least you're actually talking more. When I used to come over to your house, you were as quiet as a mouse, it was hard to get you to speak at all. Hell, it was hard to even find you in the house."

The brown-haired young man looked away and sat comfortably on the bench. Leiko smiled at her adoptive cousin, and sat up from her spot.

"So your mom told me that today was your first day at your new school. Did you enjoy it?"

Issei looked up at the girl, and his eyes seemed to have gained a much brighter edge to them.

"It was okay."

"Just okay?"

"...I didn't really talk to anyone at school today."

"Ah. So that 'ok'."

A teasing smile spread across from the girl's lips.

"Were any of the girls at your school attractive, Ise-itoko?"

Issei widened his eyes a little, and he tilted his head.

"I didn't really look or pay attention."

Leiko chuckled and shook her head.

"Knowing you, I wouldn't have expected anything less." She said, albeit in a teasing tone.

Issei flushed slightly in embarrassment, prompting Leiko to chuckle again.

"My poor naive Ise-itoko. You're too innocent for your own good."

Raising an eyebrow in confusion at the comment, Issei tilted his head. Leiko looked over to the nearby book store and smiled.

"Interesting. A book sounds pleasant. I've been wanting to find something to read."

* * *

><p><strong>In the Bookstore<strong>

"Leiko-san? What are we doing here?"

After teasing her adoptive cousin for a little while, Leiko had decided to take Issei with her to the bookstore. According to Mrs. Hyoudou, Issei had a lot of interest in the Sun. And after realizing that she desired to buy some new books of her own, Leiko thought this was the perfect opportunity to spend some time with the shy figure that embodied her cousin.

"What else does one do at a bookstore, Ise-itoko? To purchase books, of course."

"But I don't need any books."

"That's true. You don't need any books, but you do need to take part in something other than lying around in your room and waiting for the Sun to rise back up. I won't have my little cousin being a social outcast. You need to get out more often."

The young man widened his eyes at his cousin's remark, and he looked around the sections and categories of the store. Leiko chuckled and walked away from Issei, giving him some space. Watching Leiko leave, Issei walked around the store, attempting to find which books that interested him.

* * *

><p><strong>10 Minutes Later<strong>

Walking around in the notepads, and notebooks section, Issei tilted his head. For a bookstore, it sure had a large space. As he walked further, Issei looked over to the next aisle, and he bumped into someone.

"Ah!"

"Oof!"

Issei collided with the unknown figure, and they both fell onto the ground. Rubbing his sore head, Issei looked up to see a young man with short blonde hair and grey eyes. He wore the Kuoh Academy boys' school uniform, albeit without the blazer and his sleeves were rolled up. Scattered next to him were a series of notepads and writing utensils.

Widening his eyes, Issei went to pick up the items and handed them to the boy.

"Sorry about that."

The short blonde-haired boy shook his hair to fix it, and smiled gratefully as he accepted the items back.

"Nah, it's all right man."

His grey-eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey. I've seen you before."

As they both stood up, Issei tilted his head at the boy's comment. He didn't remember seeing the guy in front of him at all. The young man pointed to Issei, and he smiled.

"Yeah, you're the new student that came to Kuoh Academy today, aren't you?."

Issei widened his eyes.

'He's a student there too?'

Issei's eyes widened further when the young man held out his hand.

"What's up man? I'm Genshirou Saji. I'm the Secretary of the Kuoh Academy Student Council."

Issei reached his hand and shook Saji's own in respect.

"I-I'm Issei Hyoudou."

Saji smiled wider.

"Nice to meet you, Newby." He replied, his new nickname prompting Issei to blink.

'So this is the guy kaichou told us about. She was right. He's got a lot of power. Though by the way he acts, you wouldn't be able to perceive him as strong. His eyes are kind of weird, but it's not like anyone else is normal these days.'

Issei tilted his head as he remembered what Saji had said earlier.

"Wait, you said you were a Secretary or something?"

"Yeah, of the Student Council."

"What does the Student Council do?"

"Well, we basically help share students' ideas, interests, and concerns with teachers and the school principal."

"So you're like the speakers for the students at Kuoh Academy?"

"Yeah, I guess you could put it like that."

Issei blinked several times at the young man.

"Ise-itoko."

Both Issei and Saji turned to see Leiko, who had already acquired a few books of her own.

"Leiko-san."

Leiko smiled as she walked over to her cousin. She had already known where he was, seeing as he tended to wander around unfamiliar places. She had to admit, she was a little surprised (and proud) to see that Issei was actually talking to someone. Perhaps, her little cousin was edging out of his own shell...just a little bit.

"I see you haven't found any books yet."

Issei rubbed the back of his head as he looked away, while Saji rose an eyebrow at the girl walking over to them. Leiko crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"So your name?"

Saji widened his eyes and he pointed to himself.

"I'm Genshirou Saji. I go to the same school as your cousin."

"Really? Well it sure is a small world, isn't it?"

Looking back to her quiet cousin, Leiko smirked.

"We're not leaving until you pick out at least one book, Issei."

Sighing at his cousin's stubbornness, Issei rubbed his head again. He looked over to Saji, and nodded his head to the young man.

"It was nice to meet you, Saji-san."

Saji smiled and nodded in respect.

"Likewise, Newby."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Why do you have so many books?" Issei asked.

"Because I like to read. Why did you pick only one book?" Leiko answered.

"..." Issei chose not to respond.

"Haha. Exactly, my Ise-itoko."

After persuading (more like forcing, in Issei's opinion) Issei to purchase a book so they could leave the bookstore, Leiko felt a bit more satisfied as she sat on her cousin's couch. She felt proud of herself for bringing Issei out of his shell, even if it was a little bit.

Looking at the book in Issei's hand, Leiko tilted her head and pointed to it.

"What's the book supposed to be about?"

Issei looked at his book, and he lowered his head somewhat. He showed Leiko the front of the book.

"Return of the Sun? Interesting title." Leiko said.

She wouldn't put it past her expectations for Issei to purchase a book whose plot centered around the Sun. Laying back onto the couch, Leiko opened her first book and inwardly sighed as she relaxed.

"Hey, Leiko-san."

Turning her attention to her cousin, Leiko put down her book.

"So what are you doing here, anyway?"

Staring at her cousin for a moment, Leiko smirked and crossed her arms.

"Is it a crime to visit my baby cousin?"

Issei rose an eyebrow at the comparison.

"B-baby cousin?"

"Fufu." Leiko chuckled as her crimson-ruby eyes glinted in amusement.

Feeling a bit confused by his cousin's faint giggling, Issei turned his attention to his recently purchased book. Looking at her cousin for a few moments, Leiko set her eyes over to her book.

"Leiko-san?"

At the call of her name being spoken once more, Leiko gave her younger cousin her attention. While her face didn't show it, she felt a slight wave of happiness that her cousin was actually starting to talk more.

"..." Issei opened his mouth, but then he closed it as he lowered his head.

Leiko frowned at her cousin's behavior. In her eyes, it almost looked like Issei wanted to say something, and was genuinely trying to get the words out of his mouth.

"What is it, Ise-itoko?" Leiko asked gently, wanting her cousin to let it out.

The elder Hyoudou felt a bit of pride as the sound of her voice seemed to bring Issei out of his nervousness.

"What happened to your hair?" Issei asked softly.

Leiko's eyes widened a bit at the question.

"My hair?" She repeated.

"Yeah." Issei answered with a nod, "Why is it all gray? You're not getting old that quickly, are you?"

At Issei's last sentence, Leiko tried in vain to suppress the amused smile that threatened to split her face.

Leave it to her precious 'Ise-itoko' to ask something like that in his usual naive fashion. Of course, if it had been anyone else, Leiko would've responded in a more violent reaction.

"No, silly." Leiko humored her younger cousin, "I'm not getting old. I just dyed my hair."

"...Y-you killed your own hair?" Issei asked in a hesitant tone with a tilt of his head.

The urge to either flick her cousin on the forehead or shake her head in disbelief reached Leiko's mind.

The elder Hyoudou let out a sigh as she looked her cousin straight in his eyes.

"Ise-itoko." She uttered.

"Hmm?" Issei asked, wondering what his cousin wanted.

_FLICK_

"Huh?!"

Issei rubbed his forehead in surprise, while Leiko stared at him with her arms crossed.

"I changed the color of my hair, Issei." She explained.

The slight pain in his forehead slowly fading away, Issei removed his hand from his temple and blinked several times at his cousin. Her smile returning, Leiko sat in a more casual position.

"What do you think, Ise-itoko?" She asked as she placed a few strands of her hair behind her ear, "Do you like it?"

"..." Issei blinked again as he titled his head, "Leiko-san looks so different."

Not expecting her cousin to say that, Leiko didn't react. She didn't know how to interpret Issei's answer, so she was at a loss on what to do or how to proceed next.

"But if Leiko-san's happy with it," Issei continued with a small yet faint smile, "Then I guess I'm ok with it too. Plus, you kind of look like an Angel."

"?!"

As much as she tried her damnedest to hold it in, Leiko failed to stop the crimson blush that succeeded in spreading across her face.

"You ok, Leiko-san?" Issei asked in confusion, "Your face is all red."

"I-I'm fine, Ise-itoko." Leiko stammered, before she quickly composed herself and gave him a gentle smile.

Her younger cousin blinked at her a few times, before he smiled back in return and moved his attention back to his book.

When she was sure that Issei was no longer paying any mind to the atmosphere around him, Leiko's smile disappeared and was replaced by an embarrassed frown.

'An angel, huh?'

The elder Hyoudou inwardly sighed as she shook her head, trying once again to suppress her returning blush.

Why did her little cousin have to say things like that?

* * *

><p><strong>In The Student Council Room<strong>

"So you encountered Issei Hyoudou at a bookstore when you accidentally bumped into each other?"

Saji nodded as he answered the girl with the bob-cut hairstyle.

"Yeah, Sona-kaichou. You were right about him. He's strong, very strong."

Sona Sitri, the President of the Student Council, narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"What did he seem like?"

Saji shrugged in response.

"To be honest, he seemed pretty much like a shy guy. His personality doesn't really sync with how strong he is. But regardless, he's an alright guy."

Sona looked over at the Secretary of the Student Council, and she set her violet eyes to a different space in the room.

"Hmm."

"What is the reason for his shyness?"

Saji turned around in surprise to see the girl with blue, semi-rimmed glasses looking at the piles of books on the shelf.

"Uh, I didn't really ask him." Saji answered.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Underworld (At The Residence of the Phenex Clan)<strong>

A handsome young man in his early 20's with short blonde hair and dark blue eyes, narrowed his eyes as he tried to ignore the intense surge of energy. For a number of years, he had sensed this power, and as it grew, so did his interest.

"Riser-sama?"

"Onii-sama?"

Riser Phenex, the third son of the Phenex Clan, turned around to face a large group which consisted of fifteen young women. Shaking and rubbing his head, Riser crossed his arms.

"Don't bother me right now, girls. I have some thinking to do."

Leaving the surprised group of girls, Riser retreated elsewhere, trying to figure out where and how the energy source came to be.

'This energy...it's a source not unlike that of the solar flares from the Sun itself. It even rivals the heat of the Phenex Clan...perhaps even surpasses it...'

Shaking his head in order to clear his thoughts, Riser scoffed and looked away.

"What am I saying? This is ridiculous. Listen to me, I'm paranoid over something that I haven't even experienced or seen yet. Humph."

Shaking off his paranoia for only a moment, Riser Phenex walked off to another section of the Underworld, hopeful in gathering some pleasant thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Day At Kuoh Academy<strong>

"Excuse me, Issei Hyoudou?"

At the call of his name, Issei turned around to see a handsome young man with short blonde hair and light-grey eyes. Blinking several times, Issei stopped in his pace, allowing the other young man to catch up to him. The blonde-haired boy smiled at Issei, and held out his hand.

"How are you? My name's Yuuto Kiba."

Blinking again, Issei reached to shake Yuuto's hand in respect.

"It's nice to meet you too, Kiba-san."

Nodding in respect, Yuuto looked around the hallways, and looked back at Issei.

"The word around school says you're a new student here. Am I right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Well then, I should tell you that I really think you'll like this school."

Issei rose an eyebrow at Yuuto's statement.

"I will?"

"Hey look! It's Yuuto Kiba! Our Prince Charming!"

"Is that the new guy?! He's so cute!"

"Hey, maybe he's another Prince Charming!"

"No way! We can't have more than one Prince Charming!"

"Why not?!"

Issei widened his eyes at the strange comments he was hearing from the girls in the hallways. Yuuto just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess that means we're rivals, huh Ise-san?"

The brown-haired young man was genuinely confused right now. He had no idea what the girls were talking about.

"Hey, Issei-kun!"

Both Issei and Yuuto turned to see Yuuma Amano running towards them. Behind Issei, Yuuto's eyes narrowed just a bit, but he quickly softened his expression and smiled. Yuuma noticed the demonic aura within Yuuto, but she composed herself as she smiled at Issei.

"How are you doing? You worried me a little bit after school yesterday."

Issei rose an eyebrow at her words, but then he remembered what Yuuma was talking about.

"Y-yeah, I was tired, so I wanted to get home as quickly as possible. Sorry I made you worry."

"No, no, it's fine." Yuuma smiled warmly, "Just as long as you're okay."

Issei widened his eyes a little. Why was Yuuma so worried about him? He sure was interacting with a lot more people than he had anticipated. Looking cautiously at Yuuto for a bit, Yuuma smiled warmly as she looked over to Issei.

"Iss-"

"Hey, Ise-san." Yuuto cheerfully interrupted her.

Yuuma narrowed her violet eyes at Yuuto.

'How dare he interrupt me?! And with a smile no less!'

Issei took a step back as he noticed Yuuma's eyes taking a more darker and sinister look. Yuuto smiled as he continued his sentence.

"After school is over, I would appreciate it if you would come with me. At Kuoh Academy, we have an Occult Research Club here, and the President has been eager for you to see the club for yourself."

Yuuma widened her eyes at Yuuto's statement.

'What does the daughter of the Gremory Clan want with him?! Are the Devils watching him as well?'

Issei blinked at Yuuto's offer, and he lifted a finger up to speak, until he started to hear a series of painful shouts from outside.

"Hey look! Someone's fighting the Perverted Duo outside."

Issei tilted his head in confusion.

'Perverted Duo?'

Issei, Yuuto, and Yuuma walked outside to see a crowd of students. Pushing past the crowd, the trio widened their eyes in surprise to see two males groaning in agony on the ground. One male was a jock, and the other male wore glasses.

"Why, why?! All I wanted to do was touch some of your oppai!"

"Why is she so cruel?!"

Issei rubbed his head in confusion. Yuuma scoffed and crossed her arms, clearly not amused at the scene in front of her.

"Idiots."

Issei blinked and looked over at Yuuma in puzzlement.

"You know them, Yuuma-san?"

"Unfortunately. Matsuda and Motohama. They're the infamous perverted students here at Kuoh Academy. They've caused a lot of trouble here, and it looks like someone actually did something about it."

"Tch. Such idiotic perverts."

Lifting his head up at the familiar voice, Issei widened his eyes to see a familiar dark-silver haired girl with crimson-ruby eyes, glaring coldly at both Matsuda and Motohama.

"Leiko-san?"

Leiko Hyoudou looked up at the call of her name, and her harsh glare morphed into a warm and soft gaze as she smiled at Issei.

"Ah, Ise-itoko."

"W-what happened over here? And why are you at Kuoh Academy?"

Planting her foot on top of the glasses-wearing pervert (Motohama), Leiko smiled as she explained the situation to her cousin.

"On a whim, I wanted to see what my baby cousin's school looked like. But as soon as I entered the school-gates, I caught these two idiots following me."

She kicked both of the perverts for good measure and crossed her arms.

"Are you attending here as well?" Issei asked.

If his cousin was attending Kuoh Academy, it was definitely going to be a strange year for Issei, knowing Leiko's personality.

Leiko closed her eyes and shook her head in response to Issei's question.

"Not a chance, cousin. I just wanted to see what your school looked like, that's all. Hmm. Not a bad appearance at all."

Both Yuuma and Yuuto shared glances as they watched the verbal exchange between Issei and Leiko.

'Cousins?! From what I can tell, her aura is completely human! Issei's on the other hand...'

'Huh. That's weird. Her energy isn't the same at all as Ise-san's. Are they even related?'

Smiling in amusement, Leiko stepped back and waved to Issei.

"I'll catch you later, Ise-itoko."

Chuckling at the look on her cousin's face, Leiko left the school-gates, wondering other ways on how she could get Issei out of his shell.

"Take care, cousin. I'll see you at home." She called out to Issei.

The crowd of students had already scattered back inside the school, leaving Issei, Yuuma, Yuuto, and the Perverted Duo standing outside.

Ignoring the groans of pain from Matsuda and Motohama, Yuuma narrowed her eyes as she looked over to Issei.

'Hmm.'

"Haha. Well, I'll see you later, Ise-san. I've got to get back to class."

Both Issei and Yuuma turned to see Yuuto waving goodbye at the former as he entered into the school. Looking back at Issei, Yuuma dissolved her serious look into a cheerful smile, as she connected her arms with Issei's own.

Issei widened his eyes at the unexpected contact, and he looked over at Yuuma in surprise. Yuuma giggled at the look on Issei's face.

"Come on Issei-kun! We don't want to be late to class, do we?"

Giggling cheerfully, Yuuma pulled the unresponsive yet surprised Issei inside Kuoh Academy. Above the building floated a familiar figure. The figure possessed the appearance of a long black-haired young girl with hollow dark-grey eyes, dressed in a fashion akin to Gothic Lolita.

Narrowing her eyes in her smaller form, Ophis tilted her head as she watched Issei being pulled by the Fallen Angel into the school.

"The boy. He belongs to me. No one, shall take him away from me. He, is MINE."

Staring at Issei, The Ouroboros Dragon closed her gray eyes, and numerous of snakes manifested around her body before she disappeared completely.


	2. Wrathful Transformation!

**End of School**

As Issei walked out of his last classroom, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he discovered the one who tapped him was Yuuma.

"Y-Yuuma-san?"

Smiling cheerfully, Yuuma put her hands behind her back.

"Hey, Iss-"

"Hey, Ise-san!"

Issei and Yuuma turned to see Yuuto Kiba walking towards them. It took Yuuma all of her willpower to prevent herself from snarling in irritation.

'_Why_ does he keep interrupting me whenever I need to talk to Issei?!'

Cheerfully ignoring the annoyed look on Yuuma's face, Yuuto smiled as he spoke to Issei.

"So did you think about what I said earlier? About visiting the Occult Research Club? The President really wants to see you."

Issei blinked and rubbed his head in confusion. Yuuma widened her eyes and before she knew it, she was grabbing Issei's arm. Ignoring the surprised look on Issei's face, Yuuma flashed Yuuto a mocking smile.

"Sorry 'Prince Charming', but Issei-kun and I have plans for today."

Both Issei and Yuuto widened their eyes, the former in shock, and the latter in disbelief.

"W-we do?" Issei stuttered.

Yuuma smiled as she looked over to Issei.

"Well, of course silly! We talked about it in class!"

"But we-"

"Come on! We should get going!"

Pulling a confused Issei along with her, Yuuma snickered as she noticed the look on Yuuto's face.

'Serves him right!'

Watching Yuuma drag Issei out of the school, Yuuto rose an eyebrow and crossed his arms in thought.

"What would a Fallen Angel want with Ise-san?"

* * *

><p><strong>In the Occult Research Club<strong>

"...So the Fallen Angel said she had plans with Issei?"

"Yeah, Buchou." Yuuto answered.

The crimson-haired girl narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

'What does a Fallen Angel want with him? Not only that, but what does Azazel want with him?'

She sighed and put her hands on her desk.

"And here I was hoping he would feel a bit more comfortable in coming to the Occult Research Club today."

Yuuto smiled and tried to reassure the girl.

"Rias-sama, I'm sure he'll come around. We just have to make sure Yuuma Amano doesn't do anything too drastic."

Rias Gremory, the President of the Occult Research Club, the school's number-one beauty, and as well as one of Kuoh Academy's Two Great Ladies, adopted a serious look. Getting up from her desk, she walked over to the couch tables, and picked up a chess piece.

"The Pawn."

As she looked at it closely, her blue-green eyes seemed to be glowing with great concentration.

'I only have access to 8 Pawn pieces. But I'm starting to dread that even those might not be enough. I don't think Mutation Pieces will work, even if I borrowed a few Pawn pieces from Sona.'

Placing the chess piece down onto the board, Rias walked over to the club window, and peered out of it to see Issei walking along with Yuuma.

'I can't rush it though. Besides there's a chance that he doesn't even want to become a Devil. But perhaps I can convince him.'

Smiling deviously, Rias narrowed her eyes as she kept Issei in her sights.

'I won't let an interesting kouhai pass by so easily.'

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of Kuoh Academy<strong>

"Yuuma-san? Why did you...?"

Yuuma smiled at the confused look on Issei's face, and giggled.

"Sorry about that, Issei-kun. I guess I just wanted you all to myself for a few minutes."

"But why?"

Yuuma giggled again and put her hand in front of her mouth to suppress her laughter.

'He's so innocent about all this!'

Calming herself, Yuuma smiled and turned to look at Issei.

"Issei-kun. Are you free tonight? I was thinking we could hang out."

Issei blinked and rubbed his head in confusion.

"Well I-"

_RING RING_

Issei and Yuuma widened their eyes at the sudden beeping noise, and the former reached into his pocket, taking out his cell phone. Flipping it open, he widened his eyes as he read the message.

Looking up at Yuuma, Issei gave her a shy look.

"Sorry, Yuuma-san. I have to go home again."

"W-wha...again?!"

Yuuma widened her eyes as she watched Issei run across the bridge for the second time. Huffing softly, Yuuma crossed her arms and pouted.

"Every time I suggest something we could do together, he always has something he has to do. Geez, it's not like I'm plotting to kill him or anything. That'd just be stupid!"

Feeling a little annoyed and disappointed, Yuuma stormed off the opposite direction, trying to calm herself.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Issei opened his house door and looked inside to see Leiko already standing in front of him with a satisfied smirk on her face. Blinking in confusion, Issei shut the door behind him and rubbed the back of his head.

"Leiko-san?"

Smiling at her cousin, Leiko brushed her dark-silver hair back and placed a hand on her hip.

"Fufu. So you got my message. Good. Let's go."

"Huh? Go where?"

"Fufufu. It's a surprise, my Ise-itoko. It wouldn't be fun if I just told you, now would it?"

"Well I..." Issei started before he inwardly sighed, "Is the place where we're going to that important?"

Leiko flashed Issei a small smile, prompting the latter to widen his eyes at the sight.

"Does my baby cousin not want to spend time with me? Harsh."

Issei noticeably tensed at Leiko's words.

"N-no, that's not it at all, Leiko-san!"

Leiko's small smile widened as she grabbed Issei by the arm and dragged him with her.

"Great!" She responded cheerfully.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Underworld (Base of the Fallen Angels)<strong>

"Hmm? Something troubling you, Raynare?"

Yuuma Amano, now dressed in an immodest variation of an S&M attire, pouted as she crossed her arms. Azazel rose an eyebrow in wonder, and then he shrugged and looked back to researching more about Sacred Gears.

"Nothing Azazel-sama."

"Humph. She's just pissed off because she didn't get to 'hang out' with her precious Issei-kun."

Raynare turned to glare at a buxom Fallen Angel, who had blue hair and golden-brown eyes.

"Mind your own business, Kalawarner."

"My, aren't we snippy today?"

"Shut up."

"Now, now, girls. Let's not fight now. You can do it tomorrow."

Raynare and Kalawarner rose simultaneous eyebrows as they looked at Azazel, who was still researching with a concentrated look on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>The Student Council Room<strong>

"Absolutely not, Rias."

"What do you mean, Sona? Aren't we friends?"

Sona fixed her glasses as she listened to her childhood friend begging her. Narrowing her violet eyes, she answered her friend in a calculating and cold voice.

"Yes, we are friends. However, our friendship shouldn't be affected by your desire to claim our kouhai."

"Do you wish to claim him as a piece for yourself?"

Sona rolled her eyes at Rias's accusation, but she complied by answering her anyway.

"Even if I wanted to make Issei Hyoudou my Pawn, it would be pointless."

Rias widened her eyes in confusion.

"What do you mean? I know he costs more than 8 Pawn Pieces. I'm sure I could retrieve some more."

Sona eyed her friend for a moment, and closed her violet eyes.

"It's pointless, Rias. Issei Hyoudou is much too powerful. As far as I'm concerned, none of our pieces can be used on him.

"I don't understand."

"It's as kaichou has just stated."

Rias looked over at the black-haired girl with blue, semi-rimmed glasses with square lenses. Tsubaki Shinra, the Vice-President of the Student Council, narrowed her eyes as she stood next to Sona.

"We all know that Issei's energy structure indicates that he is by no means a human at all. But, regarding the pieces possessed by you and kaichou, they are useless against Issei."

Rias blinked several times in disbelief.

"You mean they won't work on him? But why not?"

"Hmm. Perhaps he is more than just a non-human." Sona mused.

"Ara, ara."

The three beauties of Kuoh Academy looked over to see a black-haired girl with the orange ribbon in her hair. Akeno Himejima held a surprised look on her face as her violet eyes widened in disbelief.

"Is our little kouhai so powerful that not even the Evil Pieces will work on him?"

"Correct." answered Tsubaki.

"Another factor we should consider is his energy output, Rias. It's absolutely colossal, even by the standards of a Devil of the Ultimate Class. And...it's constantly growing." Sona stated.

Rias narrowed her eyes as she listened carefully to Sona's words.

"So even if we found out the number of Evil Pieces we would need to recruit Issei...it still wouldn't be enough?"

"It couldn't be dealt with anyway. As I said, the massive energy output he possesses seems to rise substantially every so often. It doesn't matter how many Evil Pieces we collect, they won't work on Issei Hyoudou anyway."

Rias crossed her arms, and she frowned.

"Well, there goes my hopes of adding him to my peerage."

"It is a shame. I know I would have loved to get a new kouhai." Akeno added in her two cents.

"It is a shame." Sona said.

"Hmm."

"What is it Tsubaki?" Sona asked her.

Realizing quickly she had hummed in disappointment out loud, Tsubaki composed herself and crossed her arms.

"Nothing, kaichou. I had something bothering my throat."

"Uffuffu. You don't have to lie, Tsubaki. We're all a little disappointed as well. It's a shame our little kouhai won't be able to join any of our peerages." Akeno said.

Tsubaki fought in vain to suppress the blush that slowly formed on her face, but alas, it appeared, and she lightly glared at the amused Akeno.

She couldn't deny that she was a little disappointed when Sona had informed her that Issei was unable to join her peerage. At first, she had thought that Rias had defeated Sona in a bet to see who would claim Issei, but imagine her surprise when Sona had revealed that Rias wouldn't be able to claim Issei as well.

Rias sighed as she placed her hand on her cheek.

'Guess that's what I get for wanting a powerful young boy in my peerage.'

Suddenly, a flame-like magic circle appeared in the middle of the Student Council room, and a silhouette appeared out from above it. Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki covered their eyes from the brightness, and as the light faded, they removed their arms from their face. Squinting her eyes, Rias widened her eyes in shock, as well as the other women in the Student Council.

"Riser?!"

Riser Phenex, releasing a pool of flames that surrounded his body, glared at the crimson-haired beauty.

"Where is he, Rias?!"

"Where is who?!"

Riser narrowed his blue eyes darkly.

"The boy called Issei Hyoudou. I need to find him."

At the mention of their kouhai, the four most popular girls at Kuoh Academy narrowed their eyes simultaneously. Sona crossed her arms as she glared at the Phenex male.

"What do you want with him, Riser?"

With a scoff, Riser wiped some dust off of his blazer jacket, and looked towards the women.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'll tell you anyway. I wish to fight him."

* * *

><p><strong>In the Shopping Centers<strong>

"Why are we at the mall?"

"Ise-itoko asks so many questions."

Issei cautiously looked around his surroundings and saw many people mingling around the mall. He didn't know why Leiko had taken him to this place. Smiling at the look on her cousin's face, Leiko changed her expression and narrowed her eyes. She took a seat next to him on the bench.

Her facial expression then morphed into a concerned yet harsh glare.

"Ise-itoko. We need to talk."

Issei widened his eyes and turned to look at his cousin.

"About what?"

"...About you."

"What about me?"

Sighing and placing her hand on her forehead, Leiko turned to look at her adoptive cousin.

"Issei. What is your opinion on life?"

Raising a confused eyebrow at the unexpected question, Issei rubbed his head.

"Well, I don't really have an opinion, Leiko-san. I know that life is short, but..."

Staring at her cousin with an unreadable look, Leiko closed her eyes and shook her head.

"So small."

"Huh?"

"You're so small, my Ise-itoko. Too fragile."

Issei widened his eyes at the reply. Leiko turned to glare at her cousin with harsh and sharp crimson-ruby orbs of vision.

"With the way you are always acting, life is not going to be your greatest ally. Life is going to take advantage of you, because it relies on your personality to help screw you over."

The young man looked at his cousin in surprise.

"I-I..."

Narrowing her crimson eyes until they were slits, Leiko stood up from her seat and maintained her harsh glare.

"You're weak, Issei. And because you're so weak, you'll never be strong enough to live your own life if you keep acting like this. You need to stop being so nervous and better yourself!"

Leiko sharply gulped down the lump in her throat. She knew what she was saying was harsh, but she had to get through to her cousin. With his shy personality, the world was going to be something that he would always fear, and god knows, Leiko didn't want that tragedy to befall on Issei.

As he looked up at his glaring cousin, Issei adopted a shocked look on his face. As he remembered bits and portions of his life so far, he widened his eyes on how Leiko was correct. The harassment from the kids about his eyes wasn't the only thing that was harming him.

It was himself.

Shutting off from society and not interacting with people had certainly hindered him as a person. He had always stayed to himself, fearing that everyone would judge him based on his appearance.

He _was_ hurting himself. He was the one who was stopping himself from moving on.

'L-Leiko-san's right. I'm only hurting myself. And if I keep doing that then _Life_ might just...no. Life _will_ hurt me.'

"Ise-itoko..."

At the call of his cousin's nickname for him, Issei looked up just in time to see Leiko placing her hand on his cheek. With soft yet stern eyes, Leiko stared at her cousin with concern and pressed her forehead against his.

"I am telling you all this, as a concerned cousin who loves you. So, so much. Do you understand?"

Staring wide-eyed at his cousin, Issei gained a slight serious look and he slowly nodded. Satisfied at her cousin's answer, Leiko removed her hand from Issei's cheek, and went to walk away from him.

"I'm going to walk around the mall for a bit. I'll meet you back here. All right? Stay here and wait for me."

Maintaining his sad yet somber look, Issei nodded to his cousin. Staring at her cousin, Leiko went off to another direction.

'Ise-itoko...'

* * *

><p>As he sat on the bench, Issei placed his hand on his cheek, thinking about what Leiko had said. She was right, no doubt about that. He really had to toughen up if he was going to survive life. Here he was, avoiding everyone, and he wasn't even an adult yet.<p>

'I still have a lot of years ahead of me. And here I am, wasting them away.'

"Excuse me? Are you Issei Hyoudou?"

Looking up, Issei rose an eyebrow as he saw two girls in strange clothing.

'Who are they?'

One was a well-endowed young woman of Chinese descent with shoulder-length black hair and blue-green eyes. Her hair had two Chinese-style buns on both sides of her head, while the front features bangs formed a slight V-shape across her forehead. She wore a navy blue qipao with gold accents, a white sash around her stomach, and black, low-heeled shoes. She also wore a black armbands over her forearms.

The second girl had blue hair and light brown eyes. Her hair was styled with four short ponytails, with two of the four pointed up and the remaining two pointed down. The front of her hair featured split bangs going across her forehead, with side bangs framing her face. Her outfit consisted of a white haori with a red obi, which was worn under a red happi coat. She wore bandages on her forearms and shins, and wore black guards over her hands. Covering her feet, were a pair of zōri.

Issei noticed the proud smirks on the girls' faces, and he felt that he was about to be in a dangerous situation.

"Who are you?"

The girl of Chinese descent placed her hand on her hip, narrowing her blue-green eyes.

"Who we are is none of your concern. The only thing you need to know is that our master, Riser-sama, requires your presence."

"...Riser?"

* * *

><p><strong>At Another Section of the Mall<strong>

Leiko sighed as she ordered a beverage. She was getting mixed feelings about her talk with Issei.

"It had to be said. I'm aware of his past, but I can't have a cousin who shuts himself away all the time. If he keeps doing that, his life is going to be the worst. It just had to be said."

Taking a sip of her drink, Leiko closed her eyes and walked off to another section of the mall. Looking around her surroundings, Leiko rose an eyebrow as she felt something behind her.

Stopping for only a second, Leiko turned around, only to see nothing. Raising an eyebrow, Leiko turned back around and her crimson-ruby eyes widened as she dropped her drink in surprise.

"AHHHHHHH!"

* * *

><p><strong>The Occult Research Club<strong>

"Why on Earth do you want to fight Issei?" Rias asked.

She was genuinely confused on why Riser Phenex wanted to fight someone he didn't even know. Her blue-eyes green widened.

'Did Riser sense his power as well?'

The Phenex male scoffed and crossed his arms.

"That's none of your concern, Rias."

Rias narrowed her eyes.

"It is my concern, Riser."

"Why? Because he's a part of your peerage?"

"...Issei Hyoudou is unaffected by the Evil Pieces." Sona put in her two cents.

Riser widened his eyes a little, and then he shrugged. Suddenly, a magic circle appeared next to him, revealing a busty woman with long, wavy purple hair that fell all the way down her back and matching eyes.

Bowing down to Riser, the woman smiled as she lifted herself up.

"Riser-sama. Xuelan and Mira have seized the boy. He is now in the Underworld."

Smiling, Riser placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and rubbed it.

"Excellent work, Yubelluna. Our match will start soon, I expect."

The girls of the Occult Research Club and the Student Council widened their eyes, with Rias speaking their mutual thoughts.

"I'll ask you again, Riser. Why do you want to fight Issei?"

Turning around to face her, Riser sneered.

"You and I both know that his power has been sensed far across the trenches of the Underworld, Rias. The reason I want to fight him is because I want to see if he is truly powerful."

"But he doesn't even know that he has powers to begin with! Don't you think it's dangerous to fight someone who doesn't know his or her own strength?!" Akeno yelled.

Rias narrowed her eyes darkly as she nodded in agreement to Akeno's statement..

"Riser, I can guarantee that once my Onii-sama hears about this, he'll-"

"Spare your threats, Rias. Sirzechs-sama was actually one of the participants who agreed for this fight to commence."

"WHAT?! Onii-sama wouldn't-"

"He did. It seems he and I have the same wish. We both want to see the full extent of Issei Hyoudou's power."

Smirking widely at the shocked faces from the girls, Riser put his hands in his blazer pockets.

'I got permission from Sirzechs-sama to have this fight with the brat. But I didn't tell Sirzechs-sama on_ how_ I would go about firing up the brat.'

"Your attempted fight with Issei is pointless if he doesn't have any experience to support himself, Riser. That is not a fair fight." Tsubaki stated as she narrowed her eyes.

"Like that matters. Soon enough, I'll prove that this brat is nothing more than a barely lit light bulb."

Placing his hand on the ground, a magic circle resembling the shape of a Phoenix appeared. Looking up at the four beauties of Kuoh Academy, Riser sent them a dark smirk.

"The fight between Issei and I is going to be broadcasted. You can come to the Underworld if you wish. However, if you don't want to see the brat beaten to death up close, I suggest you simply watch from your little televisions."

And with that message, The Phenex Devil, along with Yubelluna, disappeared as the magic circle engulfed them and transmitted them away. Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki all stood inside the Occult Research Club, all unable to believe what was happening.

* * *

><p><strong>Arena In the Underworld<strong>

Issei didn't know what had just happened. One minute he was at the mall, and the next minute he appeared to be in an arena of some sort. As he looked around his surroundings, he noticed a large crowd of formal-dressed people sitting above the arena.

"W-where am I?"

"Issei Hyoudou."

At the call of his name, Issei looked up to see a young man with short blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He was dressed in a burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on the right with matching pants and black dress shoes. Underneath his open blazer was a white dress shirt that was not fully buttoned.

"Who are you?"

Riser smirked as he looked down at his opponent.

'So this is the brat I was so paranoid about. To think I believed that he was actually a terror to look at. Though his eyes are strange-looking. Humph, no matter. I'll make short work of him.'

"You want to know who I am? I'm the end of your life, that's who I am."

Issei widened his eyes and took a step back.

'What the heck is going on?'

"Those two girls. They said their master required my presence. Are you their master?"

"Humph. Give the boy a prize."

Blinking several times, Issei narrowed his eyes a little in annoyance. In his opinion, he knew the guy who was standing in front of him was belittling him.

"What do you want with me?"

Riser didn't respond, but he maintained his condescending smirk. Above the crowd, a man in his early 20's with shoulder length crimson red hair and blue-green eyes, appeared and faded away, before reappearing between Riser and Issei. He sent his eyes towards Riser, before sending them to Issei.

"So this is the famous Issei Hyoudou."

"That's right, Sirzechs-sama." Riser added.

Issei blinked in confusion.

"H-how do you know my name? I don't know any of you people."

Sirzechs Lucifer, the older brother of Rias Gremory, smiled as he looked back to Riser.

"Riser, I sense a great power within this boy."

He smiled wider as he looked over to the confused Issei.

"I wish you good luck, Issei Hyoudou."

"But I don't understand. What's happening?" Issei asked.

Transmitting away from the two and reappearing on his throne, Sirzechs placed his hands on his lap as he waited for the imminent battle.

Crossing his arms, Riser sneered at Issei.

"What's happening is that we are going to fight. And whoever is left standing achieves victory."

Issei widened his eyes further.

"Fight? What do you mean? I don't want to fight you! I don't even know you. I don't even care about victory!"

"Humph. Why, because you're frightened you'll lose? I don't blame you, because you're right to be afraid."

"No! I barely even know you! I didn't do anything to you!" Issei shouted in great bafflement.

Why did this guy want to fight him? He'd never met Riser at all! And yet, this man wanted to fight him for no reason.

Gaining a impatient look in his eyes, Issei took a step back.

"No. There's no reason for us to fight. I won't fight you. Just bring me back to my world, and we'll never have to see each other again."

Riser narrowed his eyes darkly.

'It won't be fun to fight him if he's so hesitant.'

A dark smile then grew on his face.

'Perhaps goading him is an option. I certainly don't want to waste my time fighting a hesitant opponent.'

"I see now. You won't fight me because you're a spineless coward!"

Issei's eyes widened at the insult.

"What? No I-"

Riser smirked wider as he continued his goading.

"Or is it because you're too weak? You're just a timid little fool who doesn't even deserve to live in this world!"

Issei looked taken aback from Riser's jibe.

"I-"

"Or, is it because you're just a worthless excuse for a human being? Oh wait, you aren't even human, are you? What with those eyes of yours, it makes me want to just put you out of your misery."

Feeling his heart pounding, Issei started to feel an emotion he had not felt in a long time.

Unbridled hatred. Pure, raw anger. It was an emotion he had felt for many years. That day when the bullies had approached him at his elementary school, only to surround him into a physical confrontation. Their mocking words...he was starting to remember.

Riser's smirk widened as he noticed Issei with his head down, gritting his teeth.

'Almost there. Now for the last one.'

"If you're so hesitant to fight me, then this might change your mind."

Issei lifted his head up and gave Riser a rare harsh glower. The crowd above the arena began to stare with widened eyes at Issei. Riser, on the other hand, appeared absolutely ecstatic.

Above the arena, a large screen tv that appeared as an item akin to a Jumbotron, appeared. Riser smirked as he pointed to the screen.

"Watch closely, brat. This is something I want to show you."

Narrowing his eyes, Issei looked up as the screen showed less static, and his eyes widened when the static cleared up.

"L-Leiko-san!"

The dark-silver haired girl was unconscious, appearing as though she was trapped onto the wall with glowing binds on her wrists and legs. Next to her was Yubelluna, who was holding a staff-like scepter directed at Leiko.

As his eyes widened in disbelief and his teeth gritted with rage, Issei slowly turned to look at Riser. Riser kept his smirk as he noticed that Issei's entire body was shaking in an attempt to calm himself.

'Finally. About time this brat got angry.'

His eyes twitching , Issei tightened his hands into fists.

"Riser. Let. Her. Go."

"Humph. I don't think so, Issei Hyoudou."

Riser looked up at Yubelluna and smiled wider.

"You know what to do."

"Yes, Riser-sama."

Issei widened his eyes.

"What's she going to do?!"

"Humph."

"Answer me, Riser!"

Yubelluna, with a dark smirk on her face, closed her eyes as her wand brighten. Issei tensed at the sight, and he took a step forward as he noticed the woman placing the wand directly on Leiko's neck.

"What are you doing?! Riser, tell her to stop!"

Not even moving an inch, Riser smirked as he nodded for Yubelluna to continue. Her smirk growing, Yubelluna pressed the wand deeper onto Leiko's neck, and the wand glowed brighter, until the wand suddenly emitted a wave of fire that immediately morphed into a cloud of smoke, the result resembling the explosion of a bomb.

Issei froze in his spot, his mouth agape with absolute shock.

"Hahahaha. Well, that's done. What do you think about that, Issei Hyoudou?" Riser taunted.

"..."

Raising an eyebrow at receiving no response, Riser set his blue eyes towards Issei. The young man's body shook in tremors, his brown hair covering his eyes. Gritting his teeth, Issei trembled as he closed his hands into fists.

"Y-you! You...how could you?! Riser, why?!"

The Phenex male smirked as he had finally gotten what he wanted.

'It's about time he got serious. Perhaps our battle will be more satisfying.'

Setting himself into a battle position, Riser widened his eyes when he felt the ground shaking. He looked up to see the crowd trying to balance themselves, as they all looked in confusion.

"Hey! What's happening?!"

"The whole arena's shaking!"

"What?!"

Riser widened his eyes further.

"Everything's shaking?"

He looked back down to stare cautiously at Issei, whose hair still covered his eyes. Suddenly, Issei's hair began to rise up. However it lowered back down, before it rose up once again, the change repeating constantly.

Riser looked down to see the ground of the arena beginning to lift up as cracks were ejected from the ground.

"Gggghhhh...!"

Riser looked up in surprise to see Issei's hair rising up once more, but this time it seemed to take a spiky shape to it. His former brown hair had morphed into a orange-yellow jutted upward hairstyle. Orange-yellow spiky locks of hair spiked upwards, pointing in all directions, giving Issei a whole different look.

Riser widened his eyes in shock.

"What happened to his appearance?!"

"Riser!"

At the call of his name, Riser widened his eyes when he saw Issei's body tremble even harder. Issei lifted his head, revealing his original soft multi-colored eyes, now morphing into constricted pupils. Before Riser could react, Issei lifted his head up, and let out a great bellow, as his irises and pupils disappeared completely.

"GGGGGRRRHAAAAAAA!"

A large orange-yellow aura of the leftover solar energy within his body flared outwardly, and covered him entirely.

"What?!" Riser screamed.

In front of him, was now a quiet orange-yellow spiky haired Issei, whose body seemed to be more developed, and his skin tone glowed lighter than usual, along with his energy output increasing from the aura that surrounded him.

Empowered by the solar energy within him, Issei turned his pupilless eyes towards Riser, who looked at the angered young man in absolute shock.

"W-WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Gritting his teeth, Issei clutched his fist, and with a bellow, he released a flur of solar flare-like energy that formed into a aura.

"I told you that I didn't want to fight you. I begged you to stop, and to let go of my cousin. I asked you to quit it."

Issei started to shake as his aura flared out once more. The crowd above the arena stared in shock at the non-human. Narrowing his pupilless eyes, Issei screamed out his final outburst.

"But you didn't listen, and YOU BLEW IT! YOU BLEW IT! RISERRRRRRRRRRRRR!"


	3. Issei vs Riser: The Conclusion

**In The Dimensional Gap**

Floating around in peace within her home, Ophis maintained her emotionless stare as she watched a massive red Western Dragon soar around the Dimensional Gap.

"Bastard-Red."

The Great Red, also known as the True Red Dragon Emperor God, and Apocalypse Dragon, paused in his soaring and turned his head to glare at Ophis. Ever since he had taken residence in the Dimensional Gap, Ophis had been nothing but harsh and cold to him.

The True Red Dragon Emperor God figured that the Infinite Dragon God could at least appreciate a little bit of his company, seeing as it always seemed so lonely. Besides, Great Red rarely went out of his way to actually stay with anyone. He was just trying to be a good 'friend' to Ophis. But unfortunately, Ophis assumed the reason for Great Red's appearance into her home was because she thought he was trying to steal it from her.

Great Red huffed in annoyance. It wasn't his fault. How was he supposed to know that the Ouroboros Dragon craved silence?

"Why don't you keep quiet, Ophis. I'm trying to soar around here."

"Home-stealer."

"..."

"Home-snatcher..."

"..."

"Baka-Red..."

"Urusai!"

"...Stupid-Red."

"OK, YOU KNOW WHAT! YOU LITTLE-"

The Great Red stopped himself and lifted his head up. He widened his golden eyes when he saw that Ophis had just given him a rude gesture. With her middle finger.

"Hey! You put down that tiny finger of yours! Where the hell did you even learn that?! Do you even know what that gesture means, you little-!"

"Fu-"

Ophis cut herself off when she suddenly felt an immense surge of energy rising. Her gray widened considerably as she realized who had released that energy.

It was that boy. The boy she encountered eleven years ago. When she had sensed his energy for the first time, it fascinated her. The boundless amount of solar energy infused within the boy absolutely captivated her. The boy had the potential to obtain nigh-limitless power and raw strength. In a way, the boy was akin to her.

Ophis represented the aspect of Infinity, as she was born from the nothingness of Infinity itself. That boy had a similar aspect like her. His energy structure was entirely composed of the vast universal source of energy; The Sun. So long as the Sun existed, then its infinite energy was eternally renewable.

But now the energy this boy was releasing was troubling. It was released in the form of extreme fury. It honestly affected her greatly. When she had first met the boy, both his energy and aura exuded a pure radiance. But now his aura oozed utmost ferocity.

"Something is wrong."

The Great Red tilted his head as he too sensed the energy.

"Hmm. What a peculiar energy."

He looked down to see Ophis in a trance-like state. Her grey-eyes appeared more hollow than usual.

"What's with you, Ophis?"

Ophis didn't respond to him directly, too entranced by the aura that boy was releasing.

"Something is terribly wrong."

* * *

><p><strong>Dungeon of the Phenex Clan<strong>

Crimson-ruby eyes fluttered momentarily, before they shot wide open.

"What the hell?"

Leiko Hyoudou moaned in irritation as she rubbed her head.

'Where am I? The last place I remember was at the mall with Ise-itoko.'

As she looked around her surroundings, she discovered that she was behind a pair of glowing bars. Widening her crimson eyes, Leiko sat up to try to grasp on the bars and rattle them open, before recoiling in pain at the touch.

"Ah! Damn it!"

"Oh, so you're finally awake."

Jumping at the sound of the unexpected voice, Leiko looked up to see a teenage version of Chun-Li staring down at her with a smug expression. Leiko narrowed her crimson eyes and got up from her spot.

"Who the hell are you?"

Xuelan smirked as she moved away from the glowing bars.

"Why should I tell you? It's not like you have any right to order me around."

"Shut the hell up!"

Xuelan chuckled as she observed the cousin of Issei with narrowed blue-green eyes.

"Riser-sama is about to face that adorable cousin of yours. I have to admit, for a weakling he's kind of cute. Very cute, especially with those different colored eyes of his."

"Don't you dare call him weak, you bitch!" Leiko shouted.

How dare this Chun-Li wannabe insult her cousin like this. Sure, Issei was soft-spoken and quiet, but he certainly wasn't weak.

Leiko's eyes widened as she remembered Xuelan's first sentence.

"Wait! Who the hell is Riser?! And where the hell am I?! Where's Issei?!"

"Fufufufu." Xuelan chuckled as she walked away from the girl.

"Hey! Don't you dare walk away! Tell me where Issei is!"

"Fufu. I can't wait for Riser-sama to beat this kid to a pulp. It's a shame though, he's actually a real cutie. Hmm. Oh wel-"

"RISERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Both Leiko and Xuelan widened their eyes when they heard the echoed bellow of pure wrath. The Dungeon of the Phenex Clan suddenly shook in tremors, as both Leiko and Xuelan struggled to regain their balance.

'Was that...I-Ise-itoko?!'

'WH-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!'

* * *

><p><strong>The Student Council Room<strong>

Rias, Akeno, Yuuto, Sona, Tsubaki, a girl with white hair and hazel eyes (Koneko), and Saji looked on in amazement and shock as they witnessed Issei's Solar transformation. The members had chosen to stay in the human world, and had used magic properties to create a viewing portable for the match between Riser and Issei.

The members of the Occult Research Club and the Student Council were literally shaking with extreme trepidation, as they looked at Issei in his newly obtained Solar form.

Rias gulped down a nervous lump in her throat.

"H-He transformed! I can't believe it! I can feel his power all the way from the Underworld!"

The rest in the Student Council room didn't respond, until Saji spoke up, clenching his fists.

"I've never seen Newby like this at all. And it's all because of that stupid prick Riser! How could he do that to Issei's cousin?!"

The four beauties of Kuoh Academy widened their eyes and turned to look at Saji.

"His cousin?!"

Yuuto nodded and informed them.

"Yes...that girl was Issei's cousin. She seemed to really care for Issei, and vice-versa."

Rias felt her heart pour out for Issei.

"I..."

She lowered her head, her hair shadowing her blue-green eyes.

"Why?! How could Onii-sama allow this to happen?!"

She slammed her hand on the desk in a fit of rage.

"It's unbelievable."

Rias lifted her head up and looked over to Sona, whose violet eyes narrowed darkly.

"I can see Sirzechs-sama allowing permission for Riser to fight Issei Hyoudou. But...I cannot see him allowing Riser to murder Issei's cousin. It is not like him."

"Are you saying that Sirzechs-sama was not aware of Riser's plans?" Tsubaki asked.

"It's possible. However...that still doesn't change a thing. As a result of the combined actions of Rias's Onii-sama and Riser...Issei's personality...perhaps it is never going to be the same."

Saji and Yuuto exchanged mutual glances and they both lowered their heads in unhappiness.

"Damn that Riser. Now because of him, Issei..." Yuuto began.

He felt that he couldn't say anymore, and he sighed in sadness.

"Newby..." Saji said as he crossed his arms.

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Headquarters<strong>

Azazel, and a surprised Raynare sat as they watched the fight between Issei and Riser through a magic viewing portal.

"I...I can't believe it! Is that really Issei?" Raynare said in amazement, and a little bit of fright.

The young boy she had been trying to get close to. He was so shy and quiet, and yet so kind. And here he was, transformed into a much more powerful state with his mind clouded by extreme fury.

Azazel hummed as he crossed his arms.

"Hmm. _It's Always the Quiet Ones_. Who would've thought?"

**Arena in the Underworld**

Riser Phenex was a lot of things. He was known to be an over-confident, arrogant, and aggressive playboy with a holier-than-thou personality. He was the third son of the powerful Phenex Clan. He was also...

A douche.

A very contemptible douche.

Riser always thought he was a great tactician, armed with a powerful peerage, and his own smarts.

'I really _really_ should have thought this through.'

Those were the thoughts that ran through Riser's mind as he stared directly into the pupilless eyes of the boy he had foolishly harassed.

Issei Hyoudou.

For many years, Riser had sensed the boy's immense power. For years, the thought of Issei's power had tortured Riser's mind, and it admittedly began to make him just a bit paranoid. Then out of sheer brilliance, Riser had gotten the bright idea of summoning his peerage to capture Issei and that cousin of his, in order to get Issei to fight him. After that, he chose to deliberately insult Issei, and then...he showed Issei Yubelluna 'killing' his cousin onscreen.

Dumbest idea he has ever had.

And to top it all off, he had made a risky bet with Sirzechs and Lord Phenex. If Issei won, he would inherit all of Riser's possessions: His mansion, his wealth, and...

His servants. Well wealth was what concerned Riser the most. After all, the Phenex Clan wasn't exactly poor. There was a reason they were more than just noble.

Although at this point, Riser would have guessed that Issei wanted nothing to do with his servants, especially after the idiotic stunt the Phenex male had just pulled. He had really pulled a huge gamble, and now it was backfiring greatly.

As Issei glowered at him with his orbs of sight, Riser couldn't help but feel an overwhelming chill down his spine. Shrugging off the feeling, and narrowing his eyes, Riser got into a battle position, and out of his back, burst forth flaming wings.

Staring coldly at Riser, Issei remained where he was, his eyes narrowed into slits. All he felt was overwhelming fury. All of the suppressed rage he had built up from when he was younger, had finally manifested in the form of his Solar transformation.

And now Riser was going to be the target of Issei's wrath.

His rage growing by the second, Issei flared his aura, the light from it illuminating throughout the arena of the Underworld. The Devils sitting above the arena, noticeably shook in consternation. They were extremely frightened, yet they were also shocked and amazed that a mere child possessed so much power.

Sitting in his throne, Sirzechs Lucifer had an expression akin to bewilderment and shock. Originally he had agreed to allow Riser to fight Issei, merely because he wanted to see how powerful Issei was. But what Sirzechs didn't expect, was how Riser intended for Issei to fight him.

'I did not foresee this.'

He certainly didn't expect Riser to go through what he just did. Insulting Issei, goading Issei into fighting him, and the last act of Riser's foolishness.

Killing someone who Issei apparently had close contact with. Had Sirzechs known what Riser was actually going to do, he would have immediately canceled the fight...had it not been for Lord Phenex, the father of Riser.

* * *

><p><strong>MOMENTS AGO<strong>

Sirzechs Lucifer widened his blue-green eyes as he watched Riser's Queen eradicating the brown-black-haired girl with her staff. As he looked down to Issei, he felt such great sorrow for the boy. Narrowing his eyes, Sirzechs went to stand up to cancel the fight, until he was stopped by none other than Lord Phenex.

"Lord Phenex?"

"Let the fight commence."

"Why? For what your son has done-"

"I know what my son has done. And it's unfortunate for this young boy. That is why I am allowing the fight to go on uninterrupted."

Narrowing his eyes, Lord Phenex turned to look at Sirzechs.

"What my son has just done was foolish. From this battle...he is going to regret his actions, and learn that he cannot manipulate the lives of others to get what he wants."

Sirzechs stared in shock as he listened to Lord Phenex's words, and he lowered his head in shame.

'It's...it's my fault.'

* * *

><p>With a snarl of rage, Issei charged at the Phenex male in a great burst of agility. Riser, surprised at the speed, didn't even have enough time to dodge. Issei tightened his hand into a fist and landed a harsh punch to Riser's face.<p>

"AHH!"

Riser yelled out in pain as he flew back from the impact.

'SON OF A BITCH!'

Gritting his teeth at the pain, Riser finally smarted up and used his wings to balance himself. He widened his eyes when he saw Issei charging at him again. Narrowing his eyes, Riser charged towards Issei, lifting his hand into a fist to counter.

As the two soared towards each other, Issei dodged Riser's punch. Widening his eyes in surprise, Riser was unprepared as Issei kneed him in the abdomen, causing the Phenex male to cough out blood.

Closing his mouth in order to prevent any blood from coming out, Riser flared his energy aura, successfully blowing Issei away from him. Riser clenched his hands into fists, and harshly glared at Issei, who glared back at him with great ferocity.

"YOU STUPID BRAT! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME!"

If there was any indication that Issei had heard him at all, the boy didn't show it. All he did was glare harshly at Riser, his pupilless eyes showing nothing but the pure intensity of his inner wrath.

His eyes widening in rage, Riser let out a scream as his wings grew to a great size. Above the wings, a colossal energy sphere manifested, its essence containing the pure flames of the Phoenix itself.

"HERE BRAT! DODGE THIS IF YOU CAN!"

After declaring, Riser shot the colossal sphere of flames towards Issei, who remained where he was. Riser widened his eyes as he noticed this.

'What the hell is he doing?! He's not moving!"

As the sphere of flames drew closer to him, Issei narrowed his eyes, and he lifted his head up as he let out a great scream of fury.

"GRRRRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The sphere of blazes collided with Issei, seemingly consuming him entirely. Riser looked on in shock momentarily, before his face broke out into a wide grin.

"HAHAAHAHAHA! YES! YES!"

The Devils looked on in shock at the sight in front of them. Riser's attack had completely obliterated the young boy entirely. As Riser looked back down, his eyes widened further, and he felt his breath leave his throat.

The sphere of flaming blazes he had summoned onto Issei...it was growing smaller.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The entire arena amplified the scream of Issei, as the young man absorbed the essence of Riser's attack. The Phenex male looked on in horror as he witnessed his sphere of blazes being consumed by Issei's energy aura.

Suddenly, Issei's body glowed, until a much more distinct aura manifested around him. The initial aura Issei had previously, emitted a orange-yellow color, but now the aura manifesting around Issei emitted a blackish-gray color. The aura engulfed Issei, causing a bright flash to illuminate within the arena.

The Devils shielded their eyes from the brightness, and then as the light faded, they removed their arms from their eyes. Riser opened his eyes, and he gasped as he flew back.

"His appearance! He's changed again!"

The young man he was fighting, his appearance had changed once again. Issei's hair was now a night-black color, and was no longer as spiky as his Solar form, but was more upright. His left eye had regained its doe-brown color once more, however his right eye did not retain its yellow-orange color. His right eye was now a black-grayish color. His facial features were also more pronounced, giving him a look of intense focus.

Riser looked on in terror at the massive surge of explosive power radiating from Issei.

'He...he absorbed my flames! That's impossible!'

* * *

><p><strong>The Student Council Room<strong>

"H-he transformed again!" Saji exclaimed.

The members of the Occult Research Club and the Student Council all looked on in amazement and horror as they witnessed Issei go through yet another transformation. Rias's body shook as she felt Issei's power explode once more.

"H-he's even stronger than before!"

"He absorbed Riser's flames!" Tsubaki said as her stoic expression disappeared completely.

"This is completely unprecedented!" Sona exclaimed.

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Headquarters<strong>

"This can't be! He transformed again?!" Raynare shouted.

"Hmm. Yes, it seems so. By absorbing the flames of a member of the Phenex Clan, Issei achieved another form on his own. Those black flames...they look like Hell-Fire." Azazel mused.

"Hell-Fire?! But he's not a Devil!"

"That's true."

Azazel gained a serious look as he placed his hand under his chin.

'He's not a Devil. However, the solar energy within his body...it changed when he absorbed Riser Phenex's flames. There are many aspects of our Sun. However, the most important aspects, are the Purifying/Nurturing and the Destructive Aspects. Hmm. It seems that Issei's second transformation is the combined result of his rage, therefore signifying the destructive aspect of the sun, and Riser's flames. A Hell-Fire Transformation. Hell-Fire Issei.'

Azazel smirked as he peered at the magic viewing portal, paying close attention to the black aura of blazes around Issei.

'Hell-Fire, the mystical flames of hell. It can cause excruciating pain upon contact instead or even cause instant death. Who would've thought that Issei could achieve a transformation like this, just by absorbing a Phoenix's flames?'

"This boy is very interesting." The male Fallen Angel mused.

* * *

><p><strong>Heaven<strong>

Michael, The Leader of the Angels, gulped down a sharp and nervous lump in his throat as he tried to endure through the great power surge that had just manifested itself.

'How can this boy possess so much power?'

"Mmm~~~"

Widening his green eyes, Michael turned around to face his sister Gabriel, who had her hand on her chest once again. Her beautiful face had morphed into a expression of great sadness.

"This cataclysmic surge of power. It's from that young boy. It's so suffocating."

* * *

><p><strong>In The Dimensional Gap<strong>

Ophis lifted her hands and put them to her cheeks as an expression akin to worry and shock formed on her face. The power she had felt from that boy, it had increased explosively, but yet it had also obtained a more...distinct aura.

"There is something wrong. The spawn of the Sun. He has undergone through another transformation."

Great Red looked down at Ophis with an almost confused expression on his face. Out of all the moments he has begrudgingly spent time with Ophis, he had never seen her like this before. She looked so shocked.

"Ophis."

"The boy. He is different. More powerful, yet destructive."

This bothered her greatly. The radiance and purity of the solar energy the boy had possessed is what fascinated and attracted her to him in the first place. But now this power...it was absolutely devastating.

"I, do not like this. Not, at all. He worries me."

Great Red rose his head in confusion, and huffed.

"Wonder what poor schmuck made this kid mad?"

Ignoring Great Red's comment, Ophis narrowed her normally stoic gray eyes darkly.

"The boy. He, is MINE. He, belongs to ME. Only me. Someone, hurt him. They, hurt him. They hurt, what is mine."

Great Red blinked in surprise at the foreign tone Ophis had used in speaking her thoughts.

'Never thought I'd see Ophis so possessive over someone.'

* * *

><p><strong>Arena in the Underworld<strong>

"Riser!"

Riser widened his eyes at Issei. The young man's voice...it was deathly cold. He felt a chill in his spine as he tried to endure Issei's icy stare.

"Bringing me here was your first mistake." Issei began.

Golden bolts of lightning sparks surrounded Issei's blackish aura. Riser stiffened at the raw intensity of his opponent's power.

"Belittling me was your second mistake."

The Phenex male could only stare at Issei in horror, his mouth agape. Issei narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, giving Riser a fierce glare.

"Your third mistake...was attacking my cousin."

The blackish aura with golden sparks surrounding Issei flared outwardly, prompting Riser to back away from the intensity. The Phenex male paled as he noticed the ominous death glare Issei was giving him.

"And once I'm through with you, it will be your last."

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown Location<strong>

"...Albion, do you sense it?"

**(I do.)**

"Do you believe the other Heavenly Dragon has awakened?"

**(No. I don't recognize Ddraig's presence within the power you are sensing. The power seems to be unique in its own. On a much different scale compared to Ddraig's.)**

A handsome young man with dark silver hair and blue eyes, stood up from his spot as he crossed his arms. A disappointed scowl formed on his face as he looked off to the side.

"Humph. And here I thought I would finally have the chance to meet my rival. What a shame."

**(Never before did I ever expect myself to say this, but do not cloud yourself in arrogance, Vali.)**

"..."

**(And might I remind you, although I was sealed in a Sacred Gear, there is a chance that Ddraig was not. For all we know, the bastard's sealed in something else. After all, we were both apart when we were sealed. I have not seen Ddraig in a long time. But I feel that his return is near.)**

"Tch."

* * *

><p><strong>Arena in the Underworld<strong>

With pools of Hell-Fire covering his entire body, Issei narrowed his eyes and charged at the Phenex male who had wronged him so. As he got closer, Riser gritted his teeth and charged back in retaliation, lifting his feet up in an attempt to kick Issei.

Issei narrowly dodged the attempt, and he sent a devastating punch to Riser's stomach. The Phenex male widened his eyes in pain and held his abdomen. However, Issei was not done yet.

Flaring out his aura composed of Hell-Fire, Issei sent a barrage of kicks and punches, the Hell-Fire augmenting his attacks. Riser coughed out blood as a result of Issei's attacks, and he coughed out more when Issei grabbed his head and slammed it down into the ground.

Riser narrowed his eyes and tried to get up, before he felt a foot planted on his head, preventing him from escaping. Shuddering rapidly, Riser attempted to move his head up, and looked up to see Issei silently glaring down at him.

"P-please don't do this! T-the girl! The one with the silver hair! She's alive! I swear it!"

Issei's expression didn't change, but that only prompted Riser to plead for his life once more.

"IT WAS ALL JUST A RUSE! I just wanted to see how strong you were! Your cousin is still alive! I swear it!"

"..."

Suddenly, an energy sphere consisting of Hell-Fire began to manifest and cover Issei entirely. Black flame-like ribbons of energy spiraled around his body. Riser paled at the raw intensity of Issei's energy, and looked up again to see Issei with a calm look on his face.

"That won't save you."

"...WHAT?!"

Sirzechs widened his eyes at Issei's words.

'What is he...?!'

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT WON'T SAVE ME?!"

"...I'm going to kill you. Nothing will save you." Issei said coldly.

Riser could only stare in shock, his mouth agape. Issei narrowed his eyes, as the black flame-like ribbons increased in size. His black hair started to wave to the side from the colossal energy flow from his sphere.

"Riser. This whole thing could have been avoided. IF YOU HAD JUST LEFT ME ALONE!"

The young man's scream echoed throughout the arena, immediately silencing the chattering of the Devils. Issei's eyes twitched as he glared darkly at Riser, and his expression morphed into what appeared to be a look of twisted melancholy.

"All of this! It didn't have to happen! But you screwed up! I warned you! I begged you! But now you screwed yourself over!"

Riser struggled to breathe as he felt his fear overcome him.

"I-"

"It's too late...to beg for your life."

Both Issei's and Riser's body began to emit small flecks of black light, resembling dust blowing off of their skin.

"THIS CAN'T BE!"

Sirzechs widened his eyes once more, and he shouted out to all of the Devils.

"EVERYONE! CLEAR THE ARENA! WE ALL MUST LEAVE!"

Issei narrowed his eyes as he looked up to see the people sitting down, now running out of the arena. He looked over to the side to see fourteen young women. One of the women present, was the very same one who had tricked him into believing that Leiko was killed.

Yubelluna stared wide-eyed in horror as she caught Issei's gaze on her.

'HE...HE WOULDN'T DARE!'

"Watch me." Issei said quietly, as though he had read Yubelluna's mind.

The energy sphere surrounding him increased greatly in size, causing Yubelluna to take a step back. Seeing the other thirteen Devils leave the battlefield, Yubelluna looked back reluctantly, and went to follow them, leaving only Issei and Riser.

Riser's eyes twitched as he realized that this was the end for him. He had bet everything on his fight with Issei. His servants, his mansion, wealth. Especially, his wealth.

"SOMEONE LIKE Y-YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"

Narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth, Issei let out a scream full of raw fury, as he released all of his energy, his body imploding into an enormous, black explosion.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"GUUAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Riser screamed in absolute torment, as he felt his entire body disintegrating from the great potency of Issei's attack. The Phenex male let out a great bellow in pure agony, as his body dissolved and disappeared into the bright light.

Moments later, the light faded, revealing Issei. The young man remained in his Hell-Fire transformation, feeling his energy regenerate seconds later. Next to him on the ground, were the remains of Riser Phenex. A pile of ashes.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Student Council<strong>

The entire group in the Student Council and the Occult Research Club widened their eyes in absolute horror, and shock. They had just witnessed the death of Riser Phenex. They still couldn't believe it, and they had just seen it with their own eyes.

Issei Hyoudou, the shy yet kind-hearted young man that had arrived at Kuoh Academy, had just killed off a member of the Phenex Clan.

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Headquarters<strong>

Raynare stood shell-shocked, unable to believe what she had just seen.

"N-no. It can't be!"

Azazel remained quiet, his hand on his chin in thought.

'The Phenex Clan is known for their superior regenerative abilities. However...Issei killed off Riser almost effortlessly. But...it shouldn't be too hard to grasp. After all, the energy explosion was composed entirely of Hell-Fire. Hmm...such a powerful boy.'

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of the Arena of the Underworld<strong>

With the crowd of Devils behind him, Sirzechs regained his balance after the vast explosion that had occurred in the arena.

"Such power!"

The entrance and door to the arena suddenly opened, revealing a calm Issei. The Devils behind Sirzechs noticeably paled, taking note of the great energy surge from Issei. As Issei walked closer, Sirzechs walked up to him, ready to speak.

"Issei Hyoudou, I-"

The Crimson Satan was cut off when Issei suddenly sent a sharp punch to his face, causing him to soar backwards past the crowd of Devils. However, moments later, Sirzechs was able to catch his balance, and composed himself, placing his hand on his sore cheek.

"D-Did he just PUNCH the freaking MAOU RED?!"

"Unbelievable!"

"Lucifer-sama!"

"Such a despicable brat! To kill a Devil of noble blood, and then have the nerve to hit the Crimson Satan!"

Issei flared his Hell-Fire aura, completely silencing the astounded Devils. He glared darkly at Sirzechs, who sighed and rubbed his cheek.

'Well, can't say I didn't exactly predict that he was going to do something.'

His pain fading away, Sirzechs sent his blue-green eyes to Issei's brown and black colored orbs of sight.

"Issei Hyoudou. I know that this will mean nothing to you, considering the state you are in. However, please allow me to say this."

Issei stayed silent, keeping his glare on Sirzechs. The aura around him intensified, but he remained still.

Sirzechs took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

"Issei Hyoudou...I deeply apologize. For everything that had occurred here today. When Riser Phenex came to ask me if he could battle you. I should have considered the consequences, and alternatives."

The young man in front of him still remained quiet.

"I was so curious that I didn't even think to consider how you would have felt about the whole situation. I allowed Riser to forcibly take you here to battle him, and allowed his plan to commence. A plan I was not even aware of."

This time Issei looked up in response. But his expression didn't change. Sirzechs opened his eyes and looked into Issei's own eyes.

"I did not know how Riser would go about getting you to fight him. But please listen. The trickery Riser himself had conjured up...it was despicable. And it would never have happened if I had prevented Riser from going through with his plan in the first place."

Issei remained at his spot, his eyes boring into Sirzechs's own. Looking at Issei in great seriousness, Sirzechs walked closer yet cautiously, to the young man.

"I am not asking you to forgive me, Issei Hyoudou. I just want you to understand."

The Devils behind Sirzechs remained quiet, waiting to see how Issei would react. It was pretty much a well-known fact that when someone was deathly quiet, something bad was bound to happen. But much to the Devils' surprise, Issei only narrowed his eyes.

"Issei Hyoudou."

Both Sirzechs and Issei looked to see a man who possessed similar features to Riser.

"Lord Phenex." Sirzechs said.

The father of Riser Phenex walked over to Issei, and put his hands behind his back in a formal manner.

"What my son had done...was truly unforgivable. The Phenex Clan is known to be a noble clan in the Underworld. But what Riser had just demonstrated, he let his arrogance and paranoia overwhelm him. That being said, I sincerely apologize for my son's foolish actions."

Looking up at Sirzechs, and then Lord Phenex, Issei narrowed his eyes further, and walked past them, prompting the two males to raise eyebrows. Lord Phenex turned around to look at Issei, noticing the young man had stopped.

"Issei Hyoudou. Before my son had begun to make plans in order to arrange his battle with you, he had started a bet with Sirzechs and I. If you had succeeded in winning, you would inherit all of my son's possessions."

Sirzechs stepped up, while keeping his distance away from the young man.

"As a result Issei, all of the properties formerly possessed by Riser Phenex, are now bestowed upon you. Because you won."

"..."

A series of black flame-like ribbons surrounded Issei once more, and he transmitted away, leaving a surprised group of Devils.

* * *

><p><strong>Dungeon of the Phenex Clan<strong>

Issei reappeared in a dark place, and he grunted when he sensed his cousin's energy aura, and someone else's. Walking towards the source, he saw Leiko, and the Chinese young woman who had brought him to the Underworld.

Widening her crimson-ruby eyes, Leiko stared at her transformed cousin with her mouth agape. Next to her, Xuelan widened her eyes and backed away.

"I-Ise-itoko?!"

"Y-You?! Where's Riser-sama?!"

Issei glared at the girl coldly. Leiko shuddered as she noticed the foreign expression on her cousin's face.

'Issei. He looks so different. Aside from his appearance, anyway.'

Xuelan narrowed her eyes, and took a fighting pose.

"Hey! Didn't you hear me?! Where's Riser-sama?!"

"...He's floating around in the arena. Endlessly."

Xuelan widened her eyes in confusion. Walking over to the glowing bars which contained his cousin, Issei placed his hands on the bars, and closed his eyes. The glowing bars suddenly dissolved as they were absorbed into Issei's body, freeing Leiko from her prison.

Running towards her cousin, Leiko wrapped Issei into a tight yet loving hug. Calming down for the moment, Issei allowed the exchange between himself and his cousin. Xuelan stared at the two in shock, unable to comprehend Issei's answer to her question.

'Floating around? Endlessly? I don't understand!'

Turning around to face Xuelan, Issei narrowed his eyes and walked over to her, their faces almost touching as he stopped. Xuelan paled at Issei's gaze. It was obvious he was struggling to control himself.

The Chinese young woman didn't know why, but she suddenly felt her face heat up as Issei glared at her.

Not saying anything, Issei walked past Xuelan, with Leiko slowly following her cousin. Of all the years she had known him, Leiko had never seen Issei like this. He was usually quiet, but now...he was in a combined state of peace yet raw fury.

'Ise-itoko...'

As she watched Issei leave, Xuelan's face gained a light red shade, and she found herself frozen at her spot.

"W-what the hell is he?"

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of the Arena of the Underworld<strong>

Issei reappeared in front of Sirzechs and Lord Phenex, glaring at the two of them. Before reappearing in the Underworld, he had taken Leiko back to his house safely. While doing so, he noticed that Leiko had kept staring at him with a strange look. Seeing as he was transformed, he didn't put it past her.

"Issei Hyoudou?" Sirzechs asked.

Remaining quiet for a moment, Issei narrowed his eyes.

"What's this nonsense about me being bestowed Riser's possessions?"

"It is exactly as I said. My son had permission to fight you, under the conditions he had agreed to. The conditions he had promised to you if you won, were to award you his wealth, the mansion, and...his servants." Lord Phenex explained.

"I don't care about any of those. And for the matter concerning his servants, they can all go to Hell."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Issei realized the irony of his last statement, but he settled for just gaining a sharp edge to his brown-black eyes.

"But I assume that this is Hell, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"That's right."

Shaking his head at his ironic statement, Issei glared up at the two Devils.

"Which means you two are Devils. Well, to put it bluntly, I could care less about Riser's possessions and his servants. You might as well give the possessions and the mansion to the servants themselves, because I want nothing to do with either of them."

Saying Sirzechs and Lord Phenex were a little taken aback was an understatement. They were extremely surprised. Surely, Issei had earned the right to Riser's possessions, and yet he refused it! Just like that!

Sirzechs rose an eyebrow.

"But surely you do realize the benefits of inheriting Riser's possessions."

"If I'm inheriting whatever pertains to that bastard turkey, then whatever I'm gaining means absolutely nothing to me."

Both of the Devils widened their eyes a little at Issei's words.

'What a strange boy.' They thought simultaneously.

Looking around the Underworld, Issei scoffed and looked back up at the two Devils.

"I'm done. There's no point in me being here. Do whatever you want with Riser's inheritance, because quite frankly, I'm not going to know what the hell I want to use it for anyway."

A pool of black flame-like ribbons covered Issei's body again, and he transmitted away from the Underworld, leaving Sirzechs and Lord Phenex, contemplating amongst themselves.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

"Ise-itoko..."

Leiko looked upon her sleeping cousin as he rested peacefully on the couch.

"What happened to you? You changed."

After coming from wherever the hell she was previously, Leiko noticed that Issei had returned to his normal state, his brown hair and his soft sharp multi-colored eyes resurfacing. Immediately after, he collapsed onto the couch, earning a well-deserved sleep.

Leiko sighed as she sat on the couch.

"Who were those people?"

She had been trapped in that dungeon for a long time, and the only person she had seen was that Chinese girl. Leiko could tell that the girl wasn't human, but she still didn't know what she was.

Leiko looked over to her cousin, and her crimson-ruby eyes softened.

"Ise-itoko."

Although she was very reluctant to do so, Leiko eventually stepped out of the Hyoudou residence to get some fresh air, leaving Issei in the living room.

Suddenly, a series of shadows manifested above the ground, and they cleared away, revealing Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God. Her dark-gray eyes gaining a curious look to them, Ophis floated over to Issei.

She tilted her head, and she slowly sat on top of him, resting on his stomach. Tilting her head again, Ophis placed her finger on Issei's forehead, rubbing it gently.

She was relieved that Issei had regained his pure and radiant solar energy once more. That devastating energy surge he had earlier possessed affected her than she had expected. She was satisfied that the boy she had met a long time ago, was now back to normal.

Bringing her face close to Issei, Ophis let an unreadable smile form on her face.

"You, are mine. Back, to normal. I, like that."

Different colored eyes fluttered, and they opened wide just in time to see dark-gray eye boring into his own. Issei widened his eyes at the girl. The girl who had appeared to him eleven years ago. She was back! Sitting on top of him!

...Dressed in that same Gothic Lolita outfit!

Issei widened his eyes further as he noticed that there was two black cross-shaped tapes attached onto Ophis's chest. Shaking his head to clear his side-tracked thoughts, Issei looked up at the girl sitting on top of him in shock.

"I-It's you!"

The smile on Ophis's face seemed to widen, but it didn't reach her heavy-lidded dark-gray eyes.

"Yes, it is me. And you, belong to me. You, are MINE. Only mine."

* * *

><p><strong>Heaven<strong>

Gabriel sighed as she put her hand on her chest.

"His energy. It's back to normal."

She was genuinely relieved that Issei had regained the purest form of his Solar Energy structure. The power radiating from his Hell-Fire transformation had honestly worried her greatly.

"Yes, it is. Let's hope it stays that way."

Gabriel looked over at her older brother, whose green eyes lowered in a sad manner. Gabriel's eyes softened, and she looked off to the side.

'That energy from earlier...it was so catastrophic. The power he possessed...it greatly surpassed the power of Michael. It even far exceeded that of an Ultimate-Class Devil by a large margin.'

Her eyes gained a saddened look as she remembered visiting the boy in his room 11 years ago.

'He was such a sweet boy. What could have caused this change?'

**In the Underworld**

A beautiful girl with long, black hair tied in twin ponytails narrowed her violet eyes as she contemplated. She was one of the Devils who had watched the fight between Issei Hyoudou and Riser Phenex.

The girl normally dressed in magical girl's clothing, but just for that one occasion on what happened earlier, she now wore a formal navy blue dress-shirt with a black skirt. Her violet eyes narrowed in concentration.

Serafall Leviathan, the current Satan in charge of foreign affairs, with the title of "Leviathan", sighed as she crossed her arms. Sirzechs, Michael, and Gabriel were not the only ones who had sensed the boy's power. Serafall could sense the immense power as well, and it greatly brought a pleasant feeling to her, due to the radiance emitting from the aura. But she chose not to interfere into the boy's life.

Until Sirzechs Lucifer had agreed for the third son of the Phenex Clan to fight Issei Hyoudou.

Originally, Serafall had thought that Riser was far too paranoid, and only wanted to fight Issei for the sake of reassuring his superiority. It turns out she was right, as Riser had intentionally provoked Issei into fighting him through despicable means.

When she witnessed Issei accessing his Solar and Hell-Fire transformations, Serafall couldn't deny that she felt great worry. She knew right then that Riser was going to lose, no question. But what worried Serafall the most, was the intensity of Issei's Hell-Fire aura. In his second transformation, Issei potentially had enough power to completely destroy the Underworld.

After Issei had destroyed Riser, Serafall didn't know what to expect from the young boy. She was actually a little surprised that Issei had enough willpower to prevent himself from decimating every Devil in front of him. That falcon punch he gave to Sirzechs was probably from his leftover anger.

As she closed her violet eyes, Serafall shook her head.

"Sirzechs-chan, you baka. Why on earth would you do this? Now this young boy...his life will change. The only question is: how severe is the change?"

* * *

><p><strong>In the Student Council Room<strong>

The members of the Occult Research Club and the Student Council all stood as they contemplated. They couldn't help but feel just a bit cautious. After the stunt Riser Phenex had pulled, which ended up backfiring on him horribly by the way, the Devils of the two clubs at Kuoh Academy felt really conflicted.

Due to Riser's actions, there was a large chance that Issei Hyoudou would hold a great animosity to all of the Devils. The only Devils who had come in contact with Issei, were in fact Genshirou Saji and Yuuto Kiba.

The two young men severely hoped that Issei wouldn't go off on them by the off-chance they would encounter each other again. They deduced that since Issei had unlocked two new transformations, they knew that he could potentially have the ability to sense energy.

Which means he could tell the energy signature of a Devil.

...That wasn't a good thing.

Sona sighed as she fixed her glasses.

"Now that Issei Hyoudou can detect the energy signature of a Devil, I think it would be best if we stay away from him."

The rest of the Devils turned to her in surprise, with Saji speaking their mutual thoughts.

"But kaichou, we didn't do anything! We weren't involved with Riser's plan at all!"

"I'm aware of that Saji. But you have to think about how Issei feels in his point of view. Although he has spoken to you and Yuuto a number of times, he was, at that point, unaware that you two were Devils to begin with. Both Riser and Rias's Onii-sama were the first two Devils that had wronged him. I wouldn't blame him if he had adopted a slight prejudice against us."

As he listened to the rationalization within Sona's words, Saji lowered his head and crossed his arms.

"Damn. I just..."

He then sighed and looked away.

"I understand what you're saying kaichou."

Rias narrowed her eyes as she looked out the window.

'How could Onii-sama allow Riser to do all of this? Now because of them, Issei's personality might have changed for the worst. If only he had just left Issei alone, then he wouldn't have perished.'

Sitting in one of the room's chairs were Akeno, Yuuto, and Koneko. Akeno adopted a disappointed yet saddened look on her face as she placed her hands on her lap.

Yuuto was not handling the situation any better. Even when he had been trying to convince Issei to come visit the Occult Research Club, he had genuinely been trying to act as a friend to the young man. After Rias had told the rest of her peerage that Issei could not be reincarnated into a Devil, Yuuto had to admit, he was actually a little disappointed from the news.

Koneko remained silent in her chair. She, along with Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki, had never even met Issei yet. However, the first day he arrived to Kuoh Academy, she and the others could all sense him. But Koneko was extremely sensitive to Issei's aura, due to her sensitivity to the life-force of other beings.

Next to Sona, stood Tsubaki, who maintained her cold stoic expression. Although her surface features showed that she was calm, inside she was feeling uneasy. What she had just witnessed, was absolutely shocking. Sure, she had heard traces of the Great War between the Three Factions, and she wasn't unfamiliar to the sights of battles. However, she found it hard to grasp what had just happened to Issei.

She couldn't get that boy out of her mind. When first seeing him walking away from Kuoh Academy, it wasn't hard for Tsubaki to decipher that Issei was a reclusive young man. It was because of his eyes.

'Those strange eyes.'

His left eye. The color of innocent doe-brown. The color of doe-brown represented innocence, naiveté, and yet, it also represented vulnerability. It matched Issei's shy nature.

His right eye. That represented the color of the powerful source of energy in the entire world: The Sun. Originally Tsubaki could not understand what Issei's right eye signified. But...it finally came to her when Issei transformed into his recently acquired Solar Form.

Issei's right eye represented his repressed anger. It represented the isolation that was forced upon him due to the different coloration of his eyes.

Tsubaki narrowed her light brown eyes as she subtly looked to the side.

'Isolation.'

Only Tsubaki and Sona knew about the former's past. She was born in the Tsubaki Clan. A clan which possessed an honorable origin that purified evil spirits. However, Tsubaki had a unique trait. Her mirror could only call to abnormal beings, and as a result she received a state which was basically isolation from the other members.

Narrowing her eyes further, Tsubaki looked over to Sona, who had her eyes closed in thought.

Sona had helped her overcome her fear of isolation. But Issei...before his battle with Riser, he almost seemed to accept being isolated from others. As though he was already used to it. Accustomed to being alone.

'Issei Hyoudou.'

The boy intrigued her. But now because of Riser and Sirzechs, the Devils of the Student Council and the Occult Research Club would most likely never have the chance to get to know Issei.

Opening and then narrowing her violet eyes, Sona crossed her arms.

'Attempting to become familiar with Issei Hyoudou is a huge risk. Perhaps we should not rush. After his battle with Riser, he might become hostile once he senses our energy.'

She sighed and closed her eyes.

'And to think, just a couple of days ago, he was just a shy student. Now...he is literally a being that likely surpasses my Onee-sama. Perhaps even...Sirzechs-sama himself.'

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Issei couldn't say anything. What could anyone say in his situation? A girl who he hadn't seen in over 11 years...looked exactly as she did before. She was sitting on top of him as though he was her personal couch.

"W-who are you?"

Ophis, The Infinite Dragon God, also known as the Ouroboros Dragon tilted her head as she gazed down at Issei.

"I, am Ophis. What is, your name?"

Issei didn't even know if he wanted to tell this girl his name. As far as he knew, this girl could be a stalker or something. A girl dressed in Gothic Lolita, who somehow knew where he lived, had managed to walk inside his house.

With the door locked.

"Before I tell you, I need to ask you some questions. Is that all right?"

Ophis tilted her head again. Issei found it creepy the way she did that, but he took it as a sign from her to continue. Sitting up from his spot, Issei shook his head and rubbed his forehead. He looked at Ophis's now hollow stare.

"How old are you, Ophis?"

"Infinity."

Issei rose an eyebrow at the answer.

"Infinity? What do you mean?"

"I have, no age."

"What?"

Issei was so confused right now.

"Do you have anyone you live with? Any family?"

"I, have no one."

The young man widened his eyes a little at Ophis's answer. The girl had no relatives? No one to take care of her?

"Why don't you have any family?"

The girl was strange, sure, but no one was that cruel to abandon someone like her.

"I, have always been in silence. The Nothingness of Infinity, is my progenitor."

Issei rose an eyebrow again in response.

'She's got a good vocabulary.'

"So you don't have anyone?"

"I, have you."

The young man widened his eyes again at Ophis's possessive tone.

"W-what?"

Ophis's eyes seemed to darken, and she lifted her finger, putting it on top of Issei's forehead.

"Do you remember? 11 years ago. My snake, bit into your flesh."

The young man rubbed his neck in remembrance, and his eyes softened.

"Yeah, I do."

"When my snake bit you, that signified, that you, were MINE."

"What?!"

What the hell did Ophis mean? Did she...

"W-wait! Are you saying what I think you're saying?!"

Ophis tilted her head as she removed her finger from Issei's forehead.

"I, marked you. As mine."

The young man widened his eyes in realization, and he resisted the urge to face-palm himself.

Shocked beyond belief, Issei lifted Ophis off of him and placed her on the floor. Blinking repeatedly at the look on Ophis's face, Issei shook his head.

"How old are you again?"

"I, am Infinity."

"That doesn't really answer my question. Or soothe my worry at all. Oh by the way, my name is Iss-"

_KNOCK KNOCK_

Issei and Ophis looked up at the sound of someone knocking on the door from outside. Looking down at Ophis, Issei just sighed and shook his head. He walked over to the door, and opened it, his look of tiredness immediately rising to surprise, then slow but rising anger.

In front of him, was none other than the young Chinese woman who had brought him to the Underworld to begin his fight with Riser.

Issei narrowed his eyes at Xuelan, his attention on Ophis momentarily forgotten. Xuelan gulped as she tried to endure Issei's icy stare. She felt her face heat up from his glare, and she shuffled her feet in nervousness.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Xuelan shuffled her feet again as she tried to avoid Issei's cold glare. She knew she had taken a huge risk in coming to his house.

Just to see him.

There were two reasons why she had come to his house. One was because she was ordered by Lord Phenex to tell Issei about the arrangement which involved giving Riser's possessions to him. The second reason was because out of all the members in Riser's peerage, she wasn't too frightened to volunteer.

That isn't to say Xuelan was exactly brave. When Yubelluna had informed her that Riser had perished at the hands of Issei, Xuelan was absolutely devastated. From how Yubelluna had described Issei, it confused Xuelan greatly. The way she described him...it was far different than the boy she had taken to the Underworld, under Riser's orders.

As she gulped down a nervous lump in her throat, Xuelan looked into Issei's different colored eyes and gulped again.

"A-are you alone right now?"

"Does it look like I am?" The young man answered coldly.

Looking past Issei, Xuelan concluded that Issei was indeed alone.

"Y-Yes."

Issei widened his eyes and turned around, only to see that Ophis had disappeared once again. The young man blinked several times in shock.

'What the hell?! I wasn't imagining the whole conversation with her, was I?!'

Sighing inwardly, Issei turned to look at Xuelan and narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want?"

Xuelan opened her mouth, and then she paused. How exactly was she going to word her response? She knew she didn't want to piss him off. Trying to calm herself, Xuelan gulped down another lump in her throat.

"L-Lord Phenex-sama ordered me to come find you. To inform you about something important."

"..."

Noticing his intended lack of response, Xuelan lowered her head.

"Both he and Sirzechs-sama would like to talk to you about the matter regarding Riser-sama's possessions."

Issei narrowed his eyes at the mention of Riser's name.

"I already told them I didn't want anything to do with Riser's belongings. I thought I made that clear. Now if you would-"

"B-but you won it fair and square." Xuelan interrupted, "You defeated Riser-sama yourself."

"I don't care about what I won. Tell Sirzechs and Riser's father that I don't want any of Riser's possessions."

Xuelan widened her eyes, and she stepped forward.

"Both Sirzechs-sama and Lord Phenex-sama insist that you have earned the right to Riser-sama's belongings. It would be honorable of you if you were to come to the Phenex mansion and accept what you have earned."

Issei maintained his cold stare as he glared at Xuelan.

"Honorable? Yeah right."

Xuelan widened her eyes again.

"W-what?"

Ignoring her, Issei opened his house door, and placed his hand on Xuelan's arm, before moving her out of his house. Glaring at the surprised look on Xuelan's face, Issei placed her in front of the door, and shut the door in her face.

Xuelan stood shell-shocked for a moment, and then she huffed.

How dare that boy do that do her?! How could he?!

Narrowing her blue-green eyes, Xuelan got into a battle position, as her hands started to glow with fire. Scoffing, she reared her fist back. As soon as she was about to punch and kick the door, Issei immediately opened the door and glared at her, prompting Xuelan to stop in her attempted attack.

"If you even try to kick or break my house door, I guarantee you'll wish you didn't. I...will..._end you_."

And with that, he slammed the door in her face again. Xuelan stood still with a frightened expression on her face, and she resisted the urge to faint right then and there. Sighing, she placed her hand on the ground, causing a magic circle to emit. The aura from it surrounded Xuelan, and she disappeared.

* * *

><p>Issei sighed as he rubbed his head. Scowling, he shook his head and sighed again.<p>

"Honorable. I-I can't believe-" He said as he shut his eyes in irritation.

Opening his eyes, Issei looked over to see Ophis sitting on his couch.

"O-Ophis, you came back. Where did you go?"

Ophis tilted her head as she stared at Issei.

"I, went nowhere."

Raising an eyebrow at her response, Issei sighed and shrugged.

"Ah, well..."

Looking over at Ophis again, Issei walked over to the couch, and sat next to the Ouroboros Dragon.

"So you said you don't have anywhere to live?"

"No. I, do not."

'She talks really weird.' Issei thought.

Issei sighed and crossed his arms.

"Is that the only outfit you have, Ophis?"

Ophis looked down at herself, and tilted her head as she looked up at Issei.

"Do you not like my appearance?"

"Your appearance? No, I was just asking-"

He was cut off when Ophis's body started to glow and reform, and the young man widened his eyes in shock. The bright glow faded, revealing a more mature Ophis.

She now appeared as a woman in her early 20's. Her silky black hair was longer, her dark-gray eyes gained a more mature edge to them, and her body was now developed to the figure of a full-grown woman. Issei really couldn't keep himself from widening his eyes at the sight of the girl's more voluptuous body.

Issei stared wide-eyed for a moment, and then he lifted up a finger to the now adult Ophis.

"Excuse me for a moment."

And then he delivered a sharp slap to his cheek, in order to ensure that he wasn't dreaming, or was trapped in a hallucination. Ophis tilted her head at what Issei had just done, but she remained quiet.

Shaking his head and grunting in surprise at the unexpected pain, Issei opened his eyes, and still saw the matured Ophis.

Blinking several times, Issei asked Ophis the same question he asked her before Xuelan had shown up.

"H-how old are you again?"

"I, am ageless." Ophis said, her former child-like voice tumbling to a lower and sultry, yet emotionless pitch.

Issei palmed his face again, and shook his head. It was going to be hard to convince his parents to allow...this girl to stay at his house. Removing his hand from his face, Issei noticed that Ophis was still dressed in her Gothic Lolita fashion.

"Maybe it's time for you to get some new clothes. I think I still have some money leftover."

Ophis stood up on the couch, and Issei was about to get up from his spot, until he noticed something strange. He looked up, and his eyes widened.

"Oh dear lord. Where are your undergarm-?!"

**SHOPPING CENTERS**

'The only outfit she has, and yet she neglected to wear any underwear?!'

Issei sighed as he walked with Ophis to the store. After that frightening revelation, Issei quickly brought the Ouroboros Dragon to the store. Walking inside, Issei looked around, while Ophis stared motionless, silently looking around the store.

Sighing and rubbing his head, Issei grabbed Ophis's hand and pulled her towards the women's section. He encouraged the Ouroboros Dragon to think about what clothes she would find interesting.

**Outside The Store Where Issei and Ophis are Located In**

Tsubaki Shinra narrowed her eyes as she looked at her list. Looking around, she tried to spot the specific store she was looking for.

"Where is the book-"

She cut herself off when someone familiar was in her eyesight. Her light-brown eyes widened and her mouth opened wide.

"Issei Hyoudou!"

Tsubaki froze in her spot as she saw Issei in the nearby clothing store. But he wasn't alone.

Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God, also known as the Ouroboros Dragon was also with Issei!

"W-what is the Dragon God doing with Issei Hyoudou?!"

Tsubaki couldn't believe it!

'And what happened to its appearance?! I thought it took the form of a _young_ girl!'

As she stared in absolute shock, she noticed Issei talking to Ophis. When the young man turned his head, Ophis turned her head around and looked right at Tsubaki. The Vice-President of the Student Council felt her heart stop almost immediately at the strange look on Ophis's face.

'Did it notice Issei's power as well? And if so, why is it with him?'

Tsubaki struggled to prevent herself from fainting right then and there as she felt the immensely powerful aura emitting from Ophis. Her knees felt wobbly, and she gulped down nervously.

Much to Tsubaki's relief, Issei looked back over to Ophis and tapped her on the shoulder, her attention on Tsubaki now forgotten.

Tsubaki widened her eyes as she hadn't realized that she was actually holding her breath in. Taking deep breaths, Tsubaki quickly walked forward so she could get away from the store. She was so engrossed at the thought of keeping herself alive, she didn't notice who was in her way until she had bumped into them.

This caused her paper to drop onto the ground, and she gasped as she bent down to retrieve it. However, the person had already reached down to pick the paper up, and gave it to her. Tsubaki gratefully accepted it, and she looked up, her light-brown eyes widening in shock.

"I-Issei Hyoudou."

The new kouhai she had gained at Kuoh Academy was right in front of her. Instead of the shy and reclusive expression he originally maintained, there was now a stern yet calm look on his face. Next to him, was a cold-looking Ophis, who was holding a pair of bags.

Tsubaki felt her breath leave her throat, finding herself unable to speak. Sona had warned the Devils in the Occult Research Club and the Student Council to stay away from Issei. And Tsubaki was now deciding whether or not to simply run away, or stay where she was, shaking in uncertainty.

Issei maintained his calm expression, and then he walked past Tsubaki, who remained where she was. Sighing in relief, Tsubaki held in her breath again when she saw that Ophis was sending her a slight glare.

"Issei Hyoudou, is MINE."

"I-I..."

She felt herself unable to reply, and yet her mouth remained wide-open, and her body stiffened. Glaring at Tsubaki coldly, Ophis walked past her, shortly catching up to Issei.

Tsubaki turned around to look at Issei and Ophis, and felt her mind go blank.

"I-I have to inform kaichou, and Rias about this!"

It seemed the bookshelf she had been trying to purchase for a long time would have to wait.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

"Hey, cousin."

"...Hey, Leiko-san."

Issei rubbed his head as he talked to Leiko on the phone.

"Leiko-san...are you all right?"

"Well, I'm not exactly thrilled. But I'm ok. Today's been a really weird ride, hasn't it?"

"Weird's just putting it mildly."

"Fufu. True."

"...Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm all right, Ise-itoko. I should probably be all right in the morning."

"...All right."

Both cousins knew their current phone call conversation was a little awkward, considering what had happened earlier.

"We'll talk later, cousin."

"Ok. Good night."

"Good night."

Hanging up the phone, Issei sighed as he laid on top of his bed. Next to him laid Ophis, who was staring at him with her hollow dark-gray eyes.

"Did you have fun shopping?" He asked.

"Yes. I, enjoyed it."

Nodding at her answer, Issei looked up at the ceiling and sighed. He then looked over to Ophis again.

"You know you can change your appearance back to what it was before. You don't really need my opinion on what you should look like."

Tilting her head, Ophis sat up from her spot and scooted closer to Issei, placing her arms around his neck.

"I, like this form. In this form, I, can hold you. I, like that."

Raising an eyebrow at Ophis' response, Issei's eyes softened and allowed himself to remain in Ophis' embrace. As he closed his eyes, Issei couldn't help but notice that Ophis' body strangely felt cold to him, and yet he was still warm.

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

Amaterasu, the major deity of the Shinto religion, the goddess of the Sun, and also the Universe, sighed as she watched her son from the heavens.

"It's been 17 years, my little sun. I miss you so."

In her hand was a sword that glowed with a crimson hue. Normally the sword wouldn't have glowed at all, if not for the fact that there was something sealed within it.

Something powerful.

The name of the sword was Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, formerly known as the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. The Legendary Japanese Sword, and one of the three Imperial Regalia of Japan.

Originally wielded by the god known as Susanoo, the sword was presented to Amaterasu as a gift, in order for the chance of reconciliation. The sword appeared to be about eighty-four cm long, shaped like calamus, and was fashioned in a white metallic color.

From that point on, as a memento of her brother, Amaterasu kept the sword in safe clutches. But she still disliked Susanoo, as she knew that the reconciliation was just a mask to hide his animosity.

Until the beginning of the Great War.

The Great War was a climatic battle between the Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels. During that battle, the Biblical God and the Four Great Satans perished, leaving the Three Factions in a state of exhaustion. Although there was no more conflict, peace did not reign.

Something else happened during that battle. The Two Heavenly Dragons, known as Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor; and Albion; the White Dragon Emperor, fought against each other during that time. Their battle was so fierce and catastrophic that the Three Factions had the gall to interrupt their battle.

Due to the Dragons' pride and annoyance at their fight being interrupted, Ddraig and Albion both attacked the leaders of the Three Factions. However, both of the Dragons' bodies were destroyed, and their souls were sealed.

Albion was sealed into the Mid-Tier Longinus known as the Divine Dividing, or the White Dragon Emperor's Light Wings.

Ddraig, however, was not sealed into a Sacred Gear. After the end of the Great War, Amaterasu arrived at the scene, and captured the Dragon's soul, encasing it within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

From that point on, Ddraig and Albion have not seen each other for over many years, as the sword the former was sealed in, was kept safe within Amaterasu's arms.

As she held the sword, an aura composed of solar flares surrounded her, and she transmitted away.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ise Shrine located in Ise City, Honshū, Japan<strong>_

Reappearing within the shrine, Amasterasu sighed as she placed the sword down onto the ground, making sure to hide it. As she looked around the shrine, Amaterasu lowered her eyes, gaining a saddened look on her face.

"I can sense him. My sweet little sun. But now is not the time to meet him. Not yet."

Placing her hand on her chest, Amaterasu closed her eyes as her solar aura covered her entirely, allowing her to transmit away.

* * *

><p><strong>The Occult Research Club<strong>

"HE'S WITH WHO?!"

Tsubaki, Sona, and Akeno winced at the shrill tone of Rias's voice. After seeing Issei and Ophis at the store, Tsubaki quickly made it back just in time to tell her master and Rias. Needless to say, Rias wasn't exactly taking it well.

"He's...he's with Oph-"

"HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! How could Ophis find him?! WHY did Ophis find him?!" Rias screamed as she interrupted Tsubaki.

She received only shrugs from her fellow Devils. Rias clutched her forehead and collapsed into her chair.

Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God, and the Ouroboros Dragon. It was one of the strongest beings in the Universe. And it was hanging out with Issei of all people?!

Sona sighed as she fixed her glasses.

"And now, we have yet another reason we have to separate ourselves from Issei Hyoudou. We certainly do not want to anger the Dragon God."

Rias sighed and looked over at Tsubaki.

"What did Issei do when you came in contact with him?"

"He didn't do anything. After he retrieved my shopping list, he did not speak to me at all. Ophis spoke to me, though."

At the last sentence, Rias, Akeno, and Sona gave Tsubaki their undivided attention.

"What did it say?" Akeno asked.

Tsubaki felt a little uneasy as she remembered Ophis's words.

"It said, that Issei Hyoudou belonged to it. As though it had already claimed him."

Rias palmed her face and sighed tiredly.

"Unbelievable. Out of all the people Issei could have come in contact with, it just had to be Ophis."

"He certainly is an interesting boy." Sona said.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Day (Issei's Room)<strong>

"My Issei. Why, do you have to go?"

Issei noticed that Ophis has been referring to him with the word "My" before his own name. And in his opinion, he didn't mind it.

Issei rubbed his eyes tiredly as he put on his book bag.

"I have school today, Ophis. I can't just stay home forever."

"I, do not like that. Not, at all."

Issei sighed as he turned to look at Ophis, who was sitting on his bed. The Ouroboros Dragon was still in her adult form, and was giving Issei her usual emotionless expression. Issei resisted the urge to smile as he thought he saw a flash of a pout on her face. In her adult form, her dark-gray eyes looked less child-like in appearance, and more sharp and narrowed.

'Man. When she's in this form, her voice sounds really different. Obviously her voice is deeper now, but still...man, her voice is different. Huh...I kind of like it.'

"I'll be back, Ophis. I promise. And hey, look at it this way. As soon as I leave school, I can bring you back something."

Ophis tilted her head at Issei's suggestion.

"Bring, me something?"

Issei smiled as he fixed his book bag.

"Yeah. Is there something you'd like?"

"...I, like doughnuts, cookies."

The young man rose an eyebrow at Ophis's answer, but then he smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"You got it. Doughnuts and cookies."

Ophis tilted her head as she watched Issei walk out of his room, and she remained on top of his bed.

Seconds later, she got up from the bed and walked over to the window, seeing Issei rush out of the door. Issei looked up from his spot, seeing Ophis looking out of his window. Nodding and smiling to her, Issei gave Ophis a thumbs-up.

The Ouroboros Dragon tilted her head again, and she lifted her hand up, mimicking Issei's thumbs up gesture.

"I'll be back, Ophis!"

And with that, the young man rushed on his way to school, leaving Ophis at his room window. Watching him leave, Ophis put her hand on the glass window, looking at her reflection.

"My Issei."

* * *

><p><strong>Kuoh Academy<strong>

Issei sighed as he sat at his desk. On his way to school, he could sense the numerous energies of the Devils. He could tell that some of them involved the members of the Occult Research Club and Student Council.

Yuuto Kiba and Genshirou Saji.

Issei had to admit, he was a little surprised when he discovered that Yuuto and Saji were Devils. And honestly, that troubled him slightly. Because of Riser, Issei's opinion of Devils had lowered greatly. And the fact that Yuuto and Saji, who Issei had considered as light acquaintances, were Devils, that conflicted with him.

Regardless, Issei still didn't trust the Devils at all. Since Yuuto and Saji seemed like the only Devils who had not troubled him at all, and were actually pleasant to him, he would go by his own rule.

'If they don't bother me, I won't bother them. It's that simple.'

No sense in killing an innocent Devil who had no way of being involved in his own life.

Issei chuckled a bit.

'Innocent Devil. That's an oxymoron.'

He looked over to the empty desk next to him.

'Hmm...Yuuma-san's not here.'

"Ok, class!"

The students in the classroom ceased in their chatting as they looked at the teacher. Issei rose an eyebrow, wondering what was so important. The teacher smiled as she looked at her students, and walked over to the door.

"We have a new student here today! Please make her feel welcome!"

The teacher opened the door, allowing the new student to walk in. Issei widened his eyes at the familiar person, and then he narrowed them darkly.

'Why am I not surprised?'

It was a well-endowed young woman of Chinese descent with shoulder-length black hair and blue-green eyes. Her hair had two Chinese-style buns on both sides of her head. She was dressed in the Kuoh Academy girls' uniform, which hugged her figure.

Xuelan shuffled her feet as she looked at the students in front of her. She gave a cheerful smile as she waved at the students.

"Hey, everyone! My name's Xuelan. It's nice to meet you all. I hope we can be friends!"

She giggled as she noticed some of the students giving her appreciative looks, the girls complimenting her hairstyle, and the males complimenting her physical appearance.

Only one student was not happy at seeing Xuelan, and he didn't bother to cover it up. Xuelan smiled as she looked over at the students, but then her smile faded slightly as she noticed the look on Issei's face.

Cold, narrowed, brown and yellow-orange eyes stared right into Xuelan's blue-green eyes. Xuelan felt her body shake, and she gulped down a nervous lump in her throat.

"Xuelan-chan, why don't you go sit next to Hyoudou-kun. He was a new student as well before you."

Xuelan forced a smile as she walked over to sit next to Issei, who removed his attention from her and glared at the chalkboard. The Chinese Devil crossed her arms as she sighed.

'Going to his house didn't work. Enrolling into this school was a sure way to get close to him.'

Issei inwardly sighed as he tried to control himself. He wasn't exactly in a murderous rage, but he was mad enough to throw a desk out the window. He would just have to settle with sitting next to the Chinese Devil.

Who wouldn't stop _bothering_ him.

Sighing, Issei put his hand on his cheek, ignoring Xuelan's stare.

'Damn it. I knew I should have listened to Ophis and just stay at home. I wonder what she's doing right now?'

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Ophis tilted her head as she silently walked around Issei's house. Moments after Issei left his house, the Ouroboros Dragon decided to go to sleep on Issei's bed. Not even 10 minutes later, did her stomach start growling.

"I, am hungry."

As she walked into the kitchen, she opened the cabinets, and refrigerator, and let an expression akin to disappointment form on her face.

"No, doughnuts, cookies."

Shutting the refrigerator door, Ophis went to look in the living room, and stopped when she saw a flyer laid upon the table. Tilting her head again, Ophis picked the flyer up and unfolded it, looking at the title.

"Fortune, Cooky."

* * *

><p><strong>The Phenex Mansion<strong>

The mansion was quiet, completely void of all sound. Sitting in the living room of the Phenex mansion were none other than the former members of Riser's peerage.

Yubelluna, Riser's Queen, stared at the walls with a lifeless gaze as she held herself. She couldn't believe that Issei had murdered her Riser!

'That boy! That awful boy! How could he do that to Riser-sama?!'

A girl with black hair dressed in a purple kimono sighed as her head lowered. Mihae, Riser's Bishop, was greatly saddened.

A young woman with brown hair with a greenish tint and green eyes, sighed. She wore a full set of silver armor with black accents, and wore a headband that spread across her hair and forehead. Held on her brown belts, was a broadsword and a dagger. The broadsword was slung on her left hip, and featured a red jewel on the pommel, and had bandages across the handle for grip. The dagger, which was located behind her hip, featured a gold hilt with bandages on the handle.

Karlamine, one of Riser's Knights, narrowed her eyes as she looked at her sword.

A tall young woman with long black hair with a dark blue tint and brown eyes, scoffed as she looked off to the side. Her hair featured five thin ponytails going around her head, held up by a golden hair accessory on top of her head. Her outfit consisted of a white top with black accents that was modeled after a Chinese cheongsam, red shorts, and armored, knee-high boots with matching gauntlets.

Siris, Riser's second Knight, clenched her fists in an effort to calm her nerves.

A woman with short, light brown hair and grey eyes remained silent as she kept her gaze at the walls. Her hair had three red highlights across. She also wore a plain white mask that covered the right side of her face. She wore a black jacket and matching jeans. The jacket has wide shoulders and a wide collar, and featured three leather straps on both her arms. She also wore black fighting gloves and boots.

Isabela, Riser's second Rook, crossed her arms as she sighed.

Two very young girls with turquoise hair, which they keep tied to one side of their head with a yellow ribbon (opposite to their sister), and blue eyes, frowned as they hugged each other. Both of their outfits consisted of gym uniforms, which consisted of white t-shirts with blue accents, black leggings, and blue sneakers over knee-high socks, similar to the Kuoh Academy's girls' gym uniforms, albeit without the logo. They also wore an orange wristband on their right wrists.

IIe and Nel, Riser's Pawns, looked at each other, and then looked away.

Another pair of twins who appeared to be cat girls, looked at each other, and then sighed as they looked away. One twin had light magenta hair which was wrapped in a long braided ponytail, and wore red fighting gloves. The other twin had sapphire hair wrapped in a smooth long ponytail, and wore blue fighting gloves.

Ni and Li, Riser's Pawns sighed simultaneously.

Two girls dressed in maid outfits laid upon the mansion couch as they were silent. One had long brown hair with magenta eyes, and the other had reddish-brown hair with blue eyes.

Marion and Burent, two of Riser's Pawns, remained silent and closed their eyes.

The last two Pawns, were two girls. One of them included Mira, the girl who had accompanied with Xuelan to take Issei to the Underworld. The other girl had purplish hair with matching eyes.

Riser's last Bishop was a young girl with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Her hair was tied in twin ponytails with large, drill-like curls, with blue ribbons keeping them in place. The front of her hair had several bangs hanging over her forehead, with a V-shaped fringe hanging over the bridge of her nose. She wore a long, pink dress with white frills and a magenta bow in the front.

Ravel Phenex, the younger sister of Riser, was just as deathly quiet as the rest of her brother's peerage.

When she witnessed her brother's death, Ravel didn't know what to think. It was as though time had ceased in mindset. The emotions she had felt during that time were changing so rapidly, she didn't what to feel.

The young man that killed him...Issei Hyoudou. That boy honestly frightened her to the core. That bone-chilling glare he gave towards her and the rest of the peerage...it wouldn't leave Ravel's mind.

When Lord Phenex had asked Riser's peerage to retrieve Issei in order to discuss his inheritance from RIser, Ravel and the other members had no intention of going anywhere near Issei.

Except Xuelan. The Chinese Rook was the only one who had volunteered.

And now here she was, sitting in melancholy with the other members of Riser's peerage.

* * *

><p><strong>Kuoh Academy<strong>

Issei sighed as he listened to the teacher go about her lesson. Normally, he would have been able to concentrate, if not for the fact that Xuelan was staring at him.

The Chinese Devil kept her gaze locked on the young man. She may have been a little frightened of Issei, but Xuelan wouldn't let that hinder her resolve.

And so she enrolled herself into Kuoh Academy, in order to get close to him. It was by mere coincidence that she would be put in the same class as Issei.

As she continued to stare at Issei, she could feel his ki rising ever so slightly. Widening her blue-green eyes, Xuelan removed her gaze from Issei quickly, and immediately after, Issei's energy started to decrease.

"Issei Hyoudou."

At the call of his name, Issei looked up to see the girl he had saw yesterday at the store. The very same girl with black hair, and blue, semi-rimmed glasses. Maintaining his calm look, Issei looked at Tsubaki Shinra, the Vice-President of the Student Council.

'Oh. It's that girl who dropped her shopping list yesterday.'

He noticed that Tsubaki had a serious expression on her face, which greatly contrasted from the pale look she adopted from yesterday.

Tsubaki struggled to maintain her indifferent and cold look as she gazed at Issei.

"The President of the Student Council would like to speak with you. If you would please follow me to the location..." She said in a serious and cold tone.

Issei didn't respond, and he looked away to see many of the students of his class whispering amongst themselves. Narrowing his eyes, Issei then looked towards Xuelan, who was now trying to avoid his glare.

Sighing, Issei thought the request over. He had already decided that if the Devils didn't bother him, then he wouldn't bother them back. It was as simple as that. Now this girl stated the President of the Student Council wanted to talk to him.

'Why are the Devils concerning themselves with someone like me?'

Lowering his head, Issei thought once again, and closed his eyes.

'Didn't Saji-san say he was the Secretary in the Student Council?'

As much as he did not trust Devils, both Genshirou Saji and Yuuto Kiba were actually pleasant to him. That being said, if these Devils knew either one of them, he wouldn't blow off on them.

That didn't mean he couldn't be indifferent towards them.

Opening his eyes, Issei glanced up at Tsubaki. He rose an eyebrow when he noticed that Tsubaki's face was slowly gaining a red shade.

'Why is her face so red? It's not that hot in here.' Issei thought.

Tsubaki stood quietly as she watched Issei ponder on his decision. She genuinely found the young man interesting, wondering what went on in his mind.

Silently retrieving his bag, Issei sighed and nodded to Tsubaki, and placed his hands in his blazer pockets. Tsubaki's stoic expression dissolved as she widened her eyes.

'H-he actually accepted?'

Issei sighed and looked at Tsubaki.

At least through taking this opportunity, he could get away from Xuelan.

"Lead the way."

As he followed the surprised Tsubaki, Issei's eyes softened as he thought about Ophis.

'I wonder how Ophis is doing. I hope she's all right while I'm here at school.'

* * *

><p><strong>At Issei's House<strong>

"I, want, Chicken Fried Rice."

"Ok, what else?"

"I, want cookies, doughnuts."

"Well, we don't have doughnuts, but we do have fortune cookies."

"Fortune, cookies."

"All right then. The total is 15.37. We'll be at your address in no time. Thirty minutes or it's free."

"Thirty, minutes? Free?"

"Yep! If we're not at your house in thirty minutes, the food is free. Though, I must warn you, our delivery time is very impecc-"

Ophis hung up the phone before the caller could finish his sentence. As she put the restaurant menu down, Ophis sat up from the couch and stood silently. As she tilted her head, Ophis's dark gray eyes narrowed a bit.

"I, want free food."

Snakes began to manifest around Ophis's body, and the Ouroboros Dragon disappeared from Issei's house.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Student Council Room<strong>

Sona Sitri clasped her hands together as she waited for Tsubaki to retrieve Issei. In the room with her, were six members of the Student Council, including Genshirou Saji.

Only Saji, and recently Tsubaki, were the only members of the Student Council to actually come in contact with Issei.

The door to the room opened, revealing Tsubaki with Issei behind her. Setting her face into a stoic and composed look, Sona stood up from her desk chair, and walked over to the calm Issei. Tsubaki walked over to stand next to the other members of the Student Council, and awaited for Sona's words.

Stopping in front of the young man, Sona placed her hands to the side.

"Issei Hyoudou. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sona Sitri."

Issei didn't respond, but he gave Sona a nod in reply. As he looked at the rest of the Student Council members, he set his gaze to Saji, who looked back with a neutral but saddened look.

Sighing and lowering his head, Issei set his gaze back to Sona.

"Before you say anything else, please let me just say this."

Raising an eyebrow at Issei's words, Sona nodded.

Taking his hands out of his blazer pockets, Issei put them to his side.

"I have nothing against any of you. However, that doesn't mean I completely trust Devils at all. But..."

Issei lowered his head and paused in his words. Noting the hesitance within Issei, Sona kept silent. Both Saji and Tsubaki remained quiet as well.

'...Newby.'

Sighing, Issei lifted his head up at Sona.

"I know that you and the rest of the Devils here were not in involved in Riser's plans at all, which is why I'm telling you this."

The Devils of the Student Council listened intently to Issei's next words.

"You don't bother me, I won't bother you. It's as simple as that. If it so happens that you do need or want, or have to speak with me, and if it's very important, then so be it. Aside from that, I'll keep to myself, and you guys keep to yourselves."

Sona and her peerage were a little surprised at Issei's declaration. Sure, he didn't trust Devils, and yet he was acting in a mature and indifferent manner.

Saji looked up at Issei and sighed.

"Hey, Newby. I-"

"It's all right, Saji-san." Issei said as he gave Saji a soft half-smile.

Saji widened his eyes at Issei's words.

"I hold nothing against you as a person. On the other hand, it'll take a long time for me to get used to Devils. So staying away from each other is a good plan. No conflicts, no worries."

Saji nodded and crossed his arms.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your cousin. She really seemed like a nice person."

Looking at Saji for a moment, Issei shook his head.

"Leiko-san's still alive."

The Student Council members widened their eyes, with the exception of Sona.

Staring at Issei for a moment, Sona nodded. That was a genuine relief to hear.

"I'm glad to hear that. And I appreciate you acting like this in a civilized manner, Issei Hyoudou. I am sure my peerage and I can agree to abide by your rules."

Issei nodded in response to Sona's words, and he put his hands in his pockets once more.

"Then it's settled."

As she watched Issei turn around to leave, Sona widened her eyes as she had just remembered something.

"Issei."

Turning around, Issei looked at Sona, raising an eyebrow.

"My older sister would like to meet with you. It's an important matter. Also a friend of mine, Rias Gremory, would also like to speak with you."

Staring at Sona for a few moments, Issei removed his hand from the door.

"...I'll think about it, the conversation with your sister. As with this Gremory person..."

"She's the President of the Occult Research Club." Tsubaki answered as she watched Issei.

"She's also Sirzechs-sama's younger sister." Saji added in his two cents.

At the mention of the Maou, Issei unconsciously flared out a small portion of ki, causing the members of the Student Council to back away. After a few moments, Issei calmed down almost immediately, and suppressed his energy.

"Tell this Rias girl, that if she wants to talk to me, then she'll have to come seek me out herself."

As he went to open the door, Issei turned back around.

* * *

><p><strong>The Underworld (Azazel's Headquarters)<strong>

Raynare sighed as she sat in Azazel's base. Dressed in her Fallen Angel attire, she put her hand on her cheek.

"Something wrong, Raynare?"

At her name, Raynare looked over to Kalawarner, who had her arms crossed in a bored manner.

"It's nothing."

Kalawarner rose an eyebrow, but then she shrugged. Her eyes glazing slightly, Raynare held herself.

'I hope Issei-kun is all right today.'

* * *

><p><em><strong>In Another Section of Azazel's Headquarters<strong>_

"Yo, Azazel. You called?"

Azazel, the leader of the Fallen Angels turned to look at a young man with dark silver hair and light blue eyes.

"Vali. Yes I did."

Azazel crossed his arms and sighed.

"I have a suspicious feeling that Kokabiel is planning something. I believe he wants to start another Great War."

Raising a silver eyebrow, Vali scoffed.

"And how does that concern me? Can't you take care of it?"

"Because I know that you and Albion have been looking for a stronger opponent. And I believe that Kokabiel's plan involves Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor."

At the mention of Albion's rival, Vali widened his eyes. Smirking at Vali in amusement, Azazel closed his eyes.

"Tell me, Vali. Have you ever heard of the legendary sword; the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi?"

* * *

><p><strong>Fortune Cooky Restaurant<strong>

An employee smiled as he carried some bags out.

"It hasn't even been thirty minutes yet, so today might be my lucky day.

On top of the restaurant building stood Ophis, who looked down upon the car the employee was about to enter into.

Ophis lifted up a finger, and she narrowed her eyes.

"I, shall definitely have, free food."

The employee got into his car, and got ready to start the engine, until he noticed something slithering next to him. Tensing at the sound of the creature, the delivery man slowly looked towards the seat next to him.

"...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House (An Hour Later)<strong>

Issei blew out a sigh as he walked into his house. Closing the door behind him, he looked up to see Ophis sitting on the couch, looking at the clock on the walls.

"Ophis?"

Removing her attention from the clock, Ophis titled her head and offered a small smile as she looked at Issei

"My Issei. You are back."

Issei blinked, and then he gave Ophis a soft smile.

"Yeah, finally. I'm glad to see that you're still here."

Putting his hands in his pockets, Issei looked around the house.

"So did you do anything today, Ophis?"

_KNOCK KNOCK_

Issei widened his eyes, and he opened the door to see a delivery man covered with extreme snake bites.

"Hey, man. A-are you all right?"

"Just take the food!"

The man whimpered, and gave Issei a large bag, and ran off to his car, driving away quickly.

Raising an eyebrow, Issei looked in the bag, smelling something quite appetizing.

"Ophis? Did you order something?"

Issei looked up, and he jumped a little in surprise when Ophis suddenly appeared right in front of him. He noticed that since Ophis was in her adult form, she was a little taller than him.

'Huh. Never noticed that.'

Grabbing the bag from Issei, Ophis lifted her hand up and formed it into a thumbs up gesture.

"I, have obtained food."

Walking away from Issei, Ophis sat back on the couch, and reached into the bag to take out her order.

Blinking several times, Issei widened his eyes when he noticed something strange.

"Hey, Ophis, you're supposed to pay for delivery you know."

Pausing in her eating, Ophis set her dark-gray eyes to Issei. Her mouth curved upwards into an expression akin to a sly smile.

"I, shall have free food."


	4. Red Dragon Emperor

**Kuoh Academy**

A middle-aged man with black hair and red eyes crossed his arms, standing on top the building of Kuoh Academy.

The Fallen Angel known as Kokabiel scowled in disgust. The Fallen Angel harbored a great deal of pride within himself. After all, he was one of the Fallen Angels who had fought and survived the climatic Great War.

Due to that war, Kokabiel believed that the Fallen Angel race was the superior species. The mere thought of anyone telling him otherwise brought damage to his pride.

But years later, a godlike powerful source of energy had risen, and it angered Kokabiel deeply. The one who possessed this power was a target of Azazel, since the laid-back Fallen Angel had become interested in him.

The one who harbored this power was by no means human, Kokabiel could tell that much. And to top it all off, Raynare, a Fallen Angel herself, was with the boy. Azazel had ordered her to merely watch over the boy, but Kokabiel was disgusted with this procedure.

At first Kokabiel would just ignore the boy's godlike power, but soon after, Kokabiel's pride soon began to decline. As the boy grew stronger, so did Kokabiel's paranoia.

And then it happened.

Kokabiel was one of the observers who had watched the fight between Issei Hyoudou and the third son of the Phenex Clan, Riser Phenex. Watching the boy transform twice, had only increased Kokabiel's fear.

However it appeared luck was on the Fallen Angel's side. Due to the fact that both Sirzechs and Riser had agreed on a bet in order to see Issei Hyoudou's true power, there would be a large chance of the boy harboring a great deal of hatred for the Devils.

While disgusted at the thought of someone like Issei joining the Fallen Angels, Kokabiel thought it would be beneficial for Issei to join on his side.

In order to start another Great War.

Azazel had strongly objected Kokabiel's desire to start another war, but that only served to increase the latter's desire to go on along with his plan.

With Issei's power in his disposal, the Devils, Angels, and any other species would stand no chance against the Fallen Angels.

But Kokabiel couldn't dwell on that ambition yet. There were other ways he could start another Great War, and he had every intention of using the way he had started with.

He had already sent that bumbling stray exorcist and the bespectacled priest to steal three of the seven Excaliburs. All Kokabiel himself had to do was steal the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

One of the Three Imperial Regalia of Japan, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was originally called the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, which translated to "Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven".

Rumors stirred that after the Great War, the bodies of the Two Heavenly Dragons, Ddraig and Albion, were destroyed, and their souls were encased. Albion's soul was encased within a Sacred Gear, Kokabiel already knew that.

But Ddraig…

The Red Dragon Emperor was rumored to be sealed within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The Welsh Dragon wielded immense strength, possessing enough power to kill Gods or Satans. And not only that, but the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi enabled its wielder to control the wind and cause it to move in the direction of his/her swings.

Kokabiel was all too elated to even think clearly. While the boy could be used for another situation, with the Heavenly Dragon, Kokabiel had a great advantage in his favor.

The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was sealed within the Ise Grand Shrine, the Shinto shrine dedicated to the Shinto Goddess known as Amaterasu-omikami.

All Kokabiel had to do was wait.

"Soon….that power will be mine. Then no one will be able to stop us!"

* * *

><p><strong>3 Days Later (At Kuoh Academy)<strong>

Walking into his class, Issei noticed that Yuuma Amano was once again absent. Raising an eyebrow, Issei turned to see Xuelan sitting at the desk next to his own. As they locked eyes, Xuelan quickly looked away.

Sighing, Issei walked over to his desk and put his bag down. Looking around his classroom, he noticed that he and Xuelan were the only ones in the class so far. Turning to look at Xuelan, Issei crossed his arms.

"All right. I know you didn't come here just to learn."

Xuelan locked her eyes into Issei's own, but she remained quiet.

"...What are you doing here, Xuelan?"

Her blue-green eyes appearing saddened momentarily, Xuelan sighed and held herself. But the Chinese Devil still didn't say anything.

Issei rose an eyebrow.

"Is this about Riser's possessions?"

"..."

"If it is, my answer won't change. I want nothing to do with them."

"...But you earned it."

"I didn't earn anything."

Xuelan looked away and held herself tighter.

"The rest of the girls…they don't know what to do."

"…"

"Without Riser-sama…..we're all so lost."

"I think it's quite clear that Riser didn't care that much about you and the rest of his peerage."

Xuelan widened her eyes and locked them towards Issei's stern orbs of sight.

"I-I…"

"If he really was the kind master you seem so eager to envision him as, he wouldn't have included his peerage into his bet with Sirzechs and his father."

Xuelan didn't know what to say. She wanted to deny what this boy said, but as she listened to Issei's words, she realized he was right.

Done with the conversation, Issei looked out the window, quietly observing the outside. Xuelan stared at Issei for a moment, and then she looked away, placing her hands on her desk.

* * *

><p><strong>2 Hours Later at the Grand Shrine of Ise<strong>

Kokabiel smirked as he shot another light spear towards the shrine. As he looked around the outside of the shrine dedicated to Amaterasu, he narrowed his eyes.

"That idiotic priest and that Holy Sword obsessed priest should be more than enough to handle those Devils at that school of theirs. No doubt, the Archangel Michael has already sent his subordinates to help the Devils. Humph, how pathetic."

Walking inside the shrine, Kokabiel began his search.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

"I…want Pork Fried Rice."

"What else?"

"Cookies and doughnuts."

"We don't have doughnuts."

"I, want doughnuts."

"I already said we don't have doughnuts, ma'am."

"…Do you like snakes?"

"Did I say that we didn't have any doughnuts? Silly me. What kind of doughnuts did you want?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Fortune Cooky Restaurant<strong>

The employee hung up the phone and palmed his face. The manager of Fortune Cooky rose an eyebrow as she walked over to the worker.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It was that same woman. Her voice…it's so cold and toneless. Every time she calls, something bad always happens. The last time she called and ordered here, another worker here had his car destroyed, and he ended up having to take the delivery bike."

"Hmm…"

"What is it boss?"

"…This sounds like a challenge."

"A challenge?!"

"Well yes. Every time this woman calls, you say something bad happens, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, then wear this, and take this with you."

The employee widened his eyes when his boss handed him a four-leaf clover, and…

Snake repellent.

"…Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Have I ever been wrong before?"

"Well-"

"Don't answer that. Now hurry up and cook the damn meal!"

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Ophis maintained her emotionless expression as she watched the clock.

"Five minutes have passed. Soon, I shall definitely have free food once more."

The door to the house opened, revealing Issei. Rubbing his head, Issei looked up to see Ophis watching the clock once again.

"Ophis, did you call that restaurant again?"

Setting her dark-gray eyes to Issei, Ophis gave the young man a sly smile.

"Yes I did."

Issei sighed and palmed his face.

"Ophis, if you keep doing things like this, people aren't going to deliver here anymore. What will you do until then?"

Ophis already had her answer ready.

"I, will order from another restaurant."

"B-but-"

"They will still come here."

Issei widened his eyes and walked over to the Dragon God, sitting next to her.

"How do you figure that?"

Ophis' smile grew into an expression akin to smugness, and she tapped her finger on Issei's forehead.

"They will challenge me, my Issei. The more times I call, they will answer. Humans challenging me. That is amusing."

"Aye yai yai." Issei droned as he shook his head

Sighing at the Dragon God's troll logic, Issei looked at the living room table, and his eyes widened. It was the Fortune Cooky flyer, but it was turned over. On the back of the flyer, was the picture of the Grand Ise Shrine.

Ophis tilted her head at Issei's expression.

"My Issei. What is wrong?"

Issei picked up the flyer as he looked closely at the shrine.

"The Grand Ise Shrine. That's the place where my parents found me. I haven't seen this place in years."

As he looked at the shrine, Issei gained a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hmm. Maybe I should go visit. After all, it is the place where I was born. Plus, I was named after it. I guess there's no shame in going."

Sitting up from his spot on the couch, Issei dusted himself off and looked at Ophis.

"You want to come with me, Ophis?"

Ophis tilted her head and looked back up at the clock.

"I shall wait for free food."

"You can't do this forever, Ophis. You know you could always just ask me to bring you food."

Ophis gave Issei a sly smile, which seemed to widen.

"My Issei is kind. But free food is much more satisfying."

Issei sighed as he rubbed the back of his forehead.

"There's just no convincing you, is there?"

"No, there is not."

* * *

><p><strong>Grand Ise Shrine<strong>

A pool of solar flares appeared in front of the Grand Ise Shrine, revealing Issei with his eyes closed. Breathing out a sigh, Issei opened his eyes, and he gasped.

"What on Earth?!"

The Grand Ise Shrine was in complete ruins. The structures of the entire floors were torn apart, and the rooms were now turned to ashes.

Issei looked on in shock as he walked 'inside' the shrine, looking around his surroundings.

"What the hell happened here?!"

_WHOOSH_

Issei widened his eyes and quickly avoided a crimson blast of energy that was sent towards his way. Maintaining his balance, Issei looked up to see a man with black hair and five pairs of black wings. He also wore a black robe with detailed accessories.

Held tight in the man's hands was a sword shaped like calamus, and sported a white metallic color. The sword was glowing with a dark crimson hue.

"So you are the one who defeated the third son of the Phenex Clan."

Issei narrowed his eyes at the man.

'His energy tells me he's not a Devil. But that doesn't mean I trust him.'

Standing up straight with a cold gaze, Issei glared at the man.

"Were you the one who destroyed parts of the shrine?"

Fallen Angel Kokabiel smirked as he held the sword.

"So what if I am? This shrine has nothing to do with you. Leave now, boy, and I'll let you live."

"You really think I'll leave just like that? After you destroyed this place?"

Narrowing his eyes, Issei peered at the sword in Kokabiel's hands.

"Was that sword part of the shrine?"

"So what if it is? None of that matters now. With this sword, I can-"

Kokabiel then cut himself off when he suddenly had an idea. An awful idea. He then smiled in a smug way.

"Listen well, boy, because I will not repeat myself."

"…"

"My name is Kokabiel. I am a Fallen Angel, and because of this, the enemies of the Fallen Angels are the Devils and the Angels. The reason I am telling you all this, is because I would like to make a deal with you."

"…"

Taking Issei's silence as a sign to continue, Kokabiel smirked.

"I can fully assume that you hold a great deal of hatred for Devils, due to what the Maou and the third son of the Phenex Clan have done to you. It seems that we have something in common, Issei Hyoudou. Not unlike yourself, we Fallen Angels, hate the Devils with an intense passion. They are not to be trusted."

"…"

Kokabiel's smirk widened.

"That is why I am offering you to join me. Together we can decimate every single Devil in existence. No other Devil shall place harm on you, nor shall they manipulate you for their own selfish desires. Devils are known for their devious and manipulative nature, boy. With your power and the power of the entire Fallen Angel race combined, no one will be able to stop us. You can have anything you desire."

"…"

"Well? What is your answer, Issei Hyoudou?"

Issei lowered his head, his hair shadowing his eyes. Kokabiel chuckled inwardly, confident in his persuasion.

"I refuse."

Kokabiel narrowed his eyes.

"What is the meaning of this, boy?!"

"You're actually right about two things, Kokabiel. Yes, I distrust the Devils. Yes, they are devious. But aren't Fallen Angels just the same?"

"Uhh! How dare you, you little brat!"

Issei narrowed his eyes, and gritted his teeth.

"That's the reason they fell from Heaven, right? Because they had impure thoughts. If you really think about it, in a way, Devils and Fallen Angels share a lot of similarities. They are deceitful, devious, and neither of their thoughts are exactly pure. You bashing the Devils, makes you sort of like a hypocrite, Kokabiel."

Kokabiel's eyes twitched as he struggled to contain his temper.

"How dare you say those words!"

With a snarl, Kokabiel swung the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, and out of the sword, a crimson wave of energy collided towards Issei, who quickly got out of the way.

Narrowing his eyes, Issei got back up.

'That sword is no joke. I've got to be careful.'

Issei's hair and skin started to glow with an orange-yellow color. His brown-orange yellow eyes losing their pupils and irises, Issei looked up at Kokabiel and disappeared from the Fallen Angel's sight.

Kokabiel widened his eyes, and held his guard. Issei; in his Super Solar form, suddenly appeared in front of him, and reared his fist back. Kokabiel smirked and impaled Issei with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, prompting to Issei to widen his eyes and cough out blood.

Kokabiel cackled as the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi started to glow with a crimson color.

"How pathetic! You may have bested Riser Phenex, but you underestimated me, Issei Hyoudou! Now rot in hell!"

After saying that, Kokabiel dug the sword deeper into Issei's stomach, and a crimson blast completely swallowed the young man in a pool of energy.

The crimson light faded, revealing nothingness. Smirking widely, Kokabiel stepped back, but then stopped as he felt something on his shoulder.

"You missed."

His red eyes widening in horror, Kokabiel turned around to attack with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, until he felt something grab his arm, and something else put pressure on his knee causing it to jut backwards. Kokabiel's bone from his leg jutted out more, causing a large pool of blood to pour out from his leg.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Screaming in great pain, Kokabiel looked up to see Issei staring down at him with a fierce glare.

"Y-YOU-!"

"Checkmate, Fallen Angel Kokabiel." Issei snarled as he lifted the Fallen Angel up.

Narrowing his eyes, Kokabiel summoned a light spear the size of Kuoh Academy itself, and impaled Issei with it. Or he would have, had not Issei summon a Solar Shield to absorb the colossal light spear. Kokabiel widened his eyes in horror, and in his shock, he dropped the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

"Like I said. That's checkmate, Kokabiel."

Rearing his fist back, Issei charged a great amount of Solar Energy as a result from Kokabiel's light spear, and pierced the Fallen Angel in his stomach.

"GUAHHHHHHH!"

"I don't like being manipulated, Kokabiel. I thought you would have learned that already when you saw my battle with Riser Phenex. He did the same thing, and look what happened to him."

Holding the Fallen Angel with only one hand, Issei glared darkly at Kokabiel.

"Issei Hyoudou."

At the call of his name, Issei turned around and looked up to see a young man with dark silver hair and light blue eyes. Sensing his energy, Issei narrowed his eyes.

'Another Devil? What's he doing here?'

Vali Lucifer flew down towards Issei and Kokabiel, his eyes widening a little at the bloodied Fallen Angel, and the golden aura surrounding Issei. Covering his interest with a confident smirk, Vali pointed to Issei.

"I believe I need that Fallen Angel you have trapped in your hand."

Narrowing his eyes further, Issei looked over at Kokabiel, who shuddered at the young man's dark gaze. Suddenly Issei lifted his hand to the side, and sent it towards Kokabiel's midsection.

"GUAGHHHHH!"

Vali widened his eyes once more as he witnessed Kokabiel's bisection.

'And they say I'm a battle maniac…'

As his body fell apart, Kokabiel started to lose his voice as a result of his screaming. Looking over to Vali, Issei held up the Fallen Angel's upper body.

"Which half did you want?" Issei asked quietly.

For once feeling a little hesitant, Vali walked over to Issei, and picked Kokabiel up by the hair. As he looked into Issei's clear eyes, Vali felt a chill go up his spine. Backing away from Issei, Vali revealed his demonic wings, and flew up into the air, flying away from the Ise Shrine.

After standing for a few moments, Issei powered down to his normal state, and sighed. As he looked around the shrine, Issei looked down to see the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Narrowing his eyes, Issei bent down and looked at the sword more closely. Hesitating, he went to touch it, and then his eyes widened as he felt darkness claim him.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

Issei opened his eyes and shook his head. His sight clearing, Issei widened his eyes in amazement.

"Where the hell am I?"

In front of him was a multitude of buildings and skyscrapers. The setting in front of him seemed to have the appearance of a virtual world.

"What…is this place?"

**{It's about time you found the damn sword. Partner.}**

His eyes widening in shock at the sudden voice, Issei turned around and immediately after doing so, he took a step back.

It was a lean-built, and stoic middle-aged man with pale skin, green eyes, and long ragged crimson hair. He was also clad in a crimson-black overcoat that flared out from behind him.

Issei took another step back. In the man's hand was the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword itself. Staring down at Issei, the man pointed the sword at him.

**{Are you ready, partner? Cause if you're not, there's a chance you might die here.}**

Issei blinked repeatedly in confusion, and then he looked down to see that he suddenly had another version of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi as well. Widening his eyes, Issei pointed to the young man.

"Hey! Where did you get the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi?!"

The man narrowed his eyes.

**{You'll have to be more specific. When you talk about the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, do you mean the one you're holding...in your hand? Or is it this one...in mine?}**

Issei got into a defensive stance, not knowing what was about to happen to him.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Taking advantage of Issei's shock, the man soared towards Issei in a burst of speed. Frowning darkly at Issei's surprised look, the man reared his sword back and he spoke with a fierce tone.

**{You want to know who I am, partner?! Well here's your answer! I AM….!}**

* * *

><p><strong>Outside Issei's House<strong>

Leiko sighed as she walked to her cousin's house door. On a whim, she wanted to see how her cousin was doing. Even though it had only been a couple of days since the cousins had last seen each other, Leiko couldn't help but worry for her cousin.

"I wonder how Ise-itoko is doing."

Sighing, Leiko brushed her dark-silver hair back, and lifted her hand up to knock on the door.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

Leiko waited for a response.

"…."

Raising an eyebrow, Leiko knocked on the door again.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

Once again no response. Her interest piqued, Leiko went to open the door, and looked into her cousin's house. Looking inside, her crimson eyes widened at the first thing she saw.

It was a beautiful young woman who appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties. She had long dark-black hair, pointed ears, and emotionless dark-gray eyes. The woman was dressed in a black sweater with dark jeans, and black shoes. Leiko also noticed that the woman had a Gothic Lolita headpiece on her black hair.

Blinking repeatedly at the sight of the woman in her cousin's house, Leiko cautiously walked over to her.

"Um. Who are you?"

Ophis tilted her head as the silver-haired girl walked over to her.

"Who are you?" She asked in an emotionless cold tone.

Leiko looked taken aback from Ophis's cold tone, but she assented and answered.

"I'm Leiko. Issei's cousin."

At the mention of Issei, Ophis's flat eyes softened considerably and she slowly lifted her hand up to point at Leiko.

"My Issei? You are his cousin?"

Leiko rose an eyebrow at Ophis.

'The way she speaks. It's so weird.'

"Yeah. Now can you tell me your name?"

Staring at Leiko momentarily, Ophis suddenly gave the dark-silver haired girl a sly smile.

"I, am Ophis. Your cousin, my Issei, belongs to me."

"W-wait. What about Issei?"

"Issei belongs to me. One day, I shall claim him for myself."

Leiko suddenly felt a little uneasy around Ophis, and she started to feel a bit anxious.

"Claim Issei. What do you mean?"

"I have marked Issei. He belongs to me."

Leiko didn't know how to respond to this.

Removing her stare from Leiko, Ophis looked at the living room table and picked up the Fortune Cooky flyer. Smiling deviously, Ophis held up the flyer to Leiko.

"Would you like free food?"

Leiko rose an eyebrow at Ophis's request.

"Free food?"

* * *

><p><strong>Grand Ise Shrine<strong>

The area around the Grand Ise Shrine was completely silent, so silent that not even a tumbleweed would be able to make a sound by blowing away. 'Inside' the shrine, laid Issei on the ground. His eyes were closed as though he was asleep. Next to him on the ground, was the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi itself.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

**{You want to know who I am, partner?! Well here's your answer! I AM…!}**

Two Kusanagi-no-Tsurugis clashed against each other, one fierce and proficient, and the other clumsy and hesitant. Issei quickly blocked the man's attack. The pressure to hold his own against his opponent strained him greatly.

"I still don't understand! I don't even know how to use a sword!" Issei yelled as the man put more pressure on his sword.

**{What's not to understand, partner?! Better concentrate, or else you'll lose a limb!}**

Issei tensed as the man pushed him forward. Landing on top of a skyscraper and trying to regain his balance, Issei rubbed his forehead.

'I don't have a clue on what's going on here!'

He looked up and he widened his eyes to see the man about to attack him with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi once again. Issei thought quickly and blocked the attack. As soon as the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugis touched again, both of the swords emitted colorful auras.

The color of the man's Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi emitted a dark crimson aura, while Issei's Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi released a yellow-orange aura.

Issei widened his eyes, while the man deepened his frown. Narrowing his eyes, Issei flew away the other side of the skyscraper, putting some distance between himself and the man.

The man narrowed his eyes and pointed the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi towards Issei.

**{Don't be so hesitant! Quicken your pace and attack me!}**

Issei narrowed his eyes as he tried to catch his breath.

'It's not exactly easy for me!'

Gritting his teeth, Issei let out a bellow as he transformed into his Super Solar state. The man shook his head at the sight. Issei screamed louder as he tried to access his Hell-Fire form.

**{Don't even bother!}**

Issei stopped and widened his eyes when he saw a large dark-crimson wave of energy soar towards him. Issei quickly dodged the energy wave, and looked behind him to see the energy wave decimate an entire multitude of buildings, leaving large a crater in the ground.

'Oh my god!'

**{Don't get all distracted on me!}**

Issei looked back just in time to see the man send another crimson energy blast with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. Issei tensed and proceeded to block the energy wave with his own sword. But he found it hard to withstand the pressure, so he forced himself to maneuver the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and send the blast to another direction.

A bright crimson flash illuminated the space on where Issei and the man stood. As the light faded, Issei struggled to catch his breath and then clenched his fist as he pointed to his opponent.

"W-who the hell are you?"

The man rolled his eyes and then transmitted away. Issei widened his eyes and looked around his surroundings. The man then appeared in front of him, grabbing onto Issei's own version of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Holding a tight grip on the sword, the man huffed and clenched his fist, causing the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi to break.

"?!"

Issei looked on in shock as the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi disintegrated in his hand. The man broke off a piece of the sword, and held it up towards Issei.

**{Don't make me repeat myself, partner. Didn't I yell it out to you earlier? My name…is Ddraig, The Red Dragon Emperor!}**

Issei had no time to react, when Ddraig suddenly grabbed his face and threw him into a nearby building.

His frown becoming stern, Ddraig narrowed his eyes as he watched Issei struggling to climb out of the building.

**{For such a powerful brat, you sure do show a lot of stupidity.}**

Issei grunted as he looked Ddraig in the eyes.

**{When you are in battle, always keep your guard up. That should be an obvious rule, Issei. While you were standing there without a weapon like a dumbass, I could have easily just stabbed you.}**

Issei widened his eyes and looked down to see that the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was no longer in his hands.

"?!"

**{Kukukuku.}**

At the sound of Ddraig's laughter, Issei narrowed his eyes and glared the disguised Red Dragon Emperor.

**{Battle not going in your favor? Well, the next ones won't if you keep standing around like that.}**

Issei gritted his teeth and tried to increase his energy, until Ddraig pointed the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi towards him.

**{You can't access that Hell-Fire transformation of yours, partner. At least not in the human world.}**

Ceasing in attempting to transform, Issei straightened himself.

"What are you talking about?"

**{The reason you can't access it here, is really simple. You're not in the Underworld.}**

"I don't understand."

**{When you absorbed the flames of the Phenex Devil, not only did you achieve a transformation that allowed you access to the power of Hell-Fire, but you also gained the powers and abilities of an individual of the Phenex Clan.}**

Issei widened his eyes at Ddraig's explanation.

"You mean I gained all of Riser's powers?" The young man said in a bit of disgust.

Now he had a portion of Riser's powers.

'Great.'

**{Exactly. In fact, possessing the powers of a Phenex is exactly the reason why you can only use your Hell-Fire transformation in Hell. Because that is where you obtained the form.}**

"But I achieved my first Solar form in Hell as well."

**{That form was attained by your own energy. From your own power. It belongs to you exclusively. When you absorbed the Phenex Devil's flames, you gained all of his powers and the mystical flames of Hell-Fire itself.}**

Issei blinked as his confusion overtook his rationality.

"How do you know so much about me?"

**{Kukukuku. Well, in simple terms, I've known about you the since the day you were born. You could also say I've been watching you since your birth occured.}**

Issei narrowed his eyes as Ddraig positioned the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi into an offensive position.

**{Enough talk! Prepare yourself, Issei Hyoudou!}**

Issei took a step back and looked down to see the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in his hand once again. He gained a nervous look in his eyes as he settled into a defensive position.

'I have no idea on how to use a sword. And even if I did, the outcome wouldn't change. I stand no chance against this…Dragon. He's far stronger than Riser and Kokabiel by a large margin. But…he seems to be a lot weaker than Ophis. I hope she's all right.'

Ddraig maintained his frown and charged at Issei.

**{Here I come, Issei!}**

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

The delivery man of the Fortune Cooky restaurant gulped nervously as he walked up to the cursed house. So far, nothing had happened to him at the moment. No snakes in his car, no explosive bikes, and more importantly, no snakes.

Checking himself to make sure he had his lucky four-leaf clover, and the snake repellent, he smiled and confidently knocked on the door.

Seconds later, a black-haired young woman with flat dark-gray eyes stared into the delivery man's soul. Nonetheless, the delivery man smiled with a smug air about him.

He held out the bag of food to the young woman and smiled wider.

"Here's your delivery. And just 20 minutes to spare! That'll be $30.47, if you please."

Ophis stared blankly at the delivery man, and then she smiled. The delivery man's smile lessened into an unsure expression, and he paled.

"Look behind you."

Feeling nervous for a moment, the delivery man looked behind him to see nothing. Raising an eyebrow, the delivery man turned back around to see Ophis with her hand on his neck.

"Wha-"

"Doink."

The delivery man suddenly collapsed onto the ground, completely unconscious. Ophis let a sly smirk cross her face as she picked up her food.

"Score Infinity for me. Score zero for Fortune Cooky."

Feeling proud of herself, Ophis walked into Issei's house and closed the door behind her. Sitting at the couch was Leiko, whose crimson-eyes were wide with amazement and/or disbelief.

"Did you just pressure point the delivery guy?"

Ophis smiled as she placed the food on the living room table.

"Yes, I did. It was fun."

Opening the bag, Ophis's smile fell into an expression akin to a frown. Leiko rose an eyebrow.

"What's up?"

"They…put no doughnuts in here. They…forgot doughnuts."

Sitting up from the couch, Ophis walked over to the door and opened it, glaring down at the unconscious delivery man. Narrowing her dark-gray eyes, Ophis pointed to the man, sending one of her snakes to crawl all over him.

"Of course you realize this means war, Fortune Cooky."

And with that legendary declaration, Ophis closed the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

Issei grunted as he blocked another of Ddraig's strikes.

'Damn it! Even in my Solar form, I don't stand a chance against him! I need an opportunity!'

**{Quit dawdling, partner!}**

Issei widened his eyes as he narrowly avoided another crimson blast. Reappearing in front of Issei, Ddraig smirked and in a motion far too quick for Issei to see, he impaled the young man with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Issei widened his eyes and covered his mouth in order to prevent any blood from coming out. Ddraig smiled as he pushed the sword forward, causing Issei's eyes to widen once more.

**{As I thought. You're powerful, but far too unskilled, partner. I refuse to have a host who is so much weaker than I am. Granted you're nothing to laugh at, but your performance in this battle is pitiful. I won't stand for it!}**

Smirking widely at the look on Issei's face, Ddraig slowly pulled the sword out of Issei's stomach.

"Wrong one!"

Ddraig widened his eyes and turned around just in time to see Issei's version of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi impale him through the stomach. Ddraig's face maintained a shocked expression as Issei glared up at him. Out of the disguised Red Dragon Emperor's stomach was a pool of crimson shattering energy particles.

**{Kukukuku. Well, well, well. You got me, partner. Looks like I underestimated you. But…there's a reason I'm the Red Dragon Emperor!}**

Ddraig's body began to glow as he transformed. Issei widened his eyes and backed away, holding the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in his hand tightly. The Red Dragon Emperor's body began to change and distort into a large red Western Dragon with green eyes.

Issei backed away as the size of Ddraig towered over the buildings and skyscrapers of his inner world. Narrowing his eyes, Issei gripped the hold on the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

In his true form, Ddraig peered down at Issei and then started to snicker.

**{Kukukuku.}**

Issei rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"What's so funny?"

**{Kukukuku. You, partner. You are amusing. Looks like you're not as naïve as I originally assumed.}**

Issei remained in his battle stance, as he cautiously looked up at Ddraig. He then widened his eyes when his body began to disappear.

"What's happening?!"

**{Kukukuku. Very interesting. You have earned my respect, Issei Hyoudou. I shall lend you my power anytime you wish. You can use it to show those who ridiculed you.}**

Issei continued to stare up at the Western Dragon in confusion. Ddraig then gave Issei a serious look as the young man started to fade away.

**{However, let me give you a warning. If you wish to control my power, make sure you don't slack off before I come back!}**

Issei stared up at the Welsh Dragon silently, and seconds later, he started to disappear from his own mind.

**{Humph. Your mother would be proud.}**

As Ddraig watched the remaining form of his wielder fade away, a confident smirk formed on his face.

**{Albion. Our battle shall come soon. You better hope your host will have what it takes to defeat this one. The one called Issei Hyoudou.}**

* * *

><p><strong>The Grand Ise Shrine<strong>

Issei's eyes fluttered, and then opened completely. Widening his eyes, Issei looked around his surroundings and looked over to see that the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was no longer in his hands.

"Huh? Where did the sword go?"

Looking around the shrine, Issei narrowed his eyes and got up from his spot.

"Hmm."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Issei opened the door to his house and shook his head.

"Ise-itoko?"

Widening his eyes, Issei looked up to see Leiko sitting next to a moody Ophis.

"Leiko-san! What ae you doing here?"

Leiko sent Issei a smile.

"I just wanted to see how my cousin was doing."

She then looked to Ophis, who had a pout on her face.

"But as Ophis here tells me, it looks like your life is going good so far."

Issei rose an eyebrow at Ophis's facial expression, and then he looked to Leiko, and offered her a smile.

"Y-yeah. I guess you can put it that way."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Day at Kuoh Academy<strong>

Sitting at his desk, Issei looked out the window of his classroom. He looked up at the Sun, and sighed deeply. As he looked around the classroom, he noticed that Yuuma was once again absent.

'Where has Yuuma-san been?'

He then noticed that Xuelan was absent as well.

'Hmm…'

As he looked back at the Sun, he felt someone walk up to him.

"Issei Hyoudou."

At the call of his name, Issei looked up to see Tsubaki looking down at him, her hands to her side. Staring at Tsubaki blankly, Issei's eyes widened in recognition.

"Oh, it's you."

Getting up from his desk, Issei put his hands in his pockets.

"Is something wrong? And secondly, is it important?"

Tsubaki maintained her stoic expression as she gazed at Issei. Before her stoic gaze could break down, Tsubaki closed her eyes.

"Kaichou's Onee-sama is here. She would like to speak with you, as well as Sirzechs-sama."

Issei narrowed his eyes at the last person Tsubaki had mentioned, but he calmed himself quickly.

"What does Sirzechs want to talk about?"

He didn't particularly mind what Sona's older sister wanted to talk about, but Sirzechs...if Sirzechs wanted to talk to him, the Crimson Maou had better be expecting another Falcon Punch in the face.

Unaware of Issei's passing thoughts, Tsubaki opened her light-brown eyes.

"He didn't say."

"Tch." Issei muttered.

Tsubaki rose an eyebrow at Issei's response, and then her eyes widened considerably as she noticed that Issei had a red stain showing through his white shirt.

"You're bleeding."

Raising an eyebrow, Issei looked down to see that there was blood on his shirt. Lifting the top of his shirt away from him, the young man widened his eyes to see that there was a large cut mark on his stomach.

'How did I get cut just now? This morning, it was just fine... Was it from Ddraig? It definitely couldn't have been from Kokabiel, because I transmitted away from him.'

He tensed when he felt a hand reach down to his stomach. He quickly gripped Tsubaki's hand and held it tightly. Tsubaki widened her eyes slightly as she met Issei's stern gaze.

"I…I was going to heal you."

Issei's stern look dissolved into a look of hesitance and he gently released his grip on Tsubaki's hand.

"It doesn't hurt. If it did, I would have noticed it by now. I'm fine."

"But you need to be healed before the blood flow increases." Tsubaki insisted

"It's all right. Let's just go meet Sona's Onee-sama, and…Sirzechs. I can heal myself afterwards."

"…You're such a strange boy, Issei Hyoudou." Tsubaki said as she rose an eyebrow at Issei.

Issei sent Tsubaki a sad look.

"If I had a nickel for every time that phrase has been said..."

Tsubaki kept her gaze on Issei for awhile, and she stood still in her spot. Issei's eyes softened, and he sighed and looked away.

" I appreciate your offer to heal me. But not now. I just want to get this over with."

Staring at Issei for a moment, Tsubaki's eyes softened.

"Follow me, Issei."

* * *

><p><strong>The Student Council Room<strong>

Tsubaki opened the door to the Student Council, and she and Issei walked inside to see Sona with a young woman with black hair in pigtails and violet eyes. Next to the siblings was Sirzechs Lucifer himself, and the young women of Riser's peerage.

Issei kept a calm face as he looked at the familiar and unfamiliar people in the room. Sona, Sirzechs, and then the rest of Riser's peerage walked out of the room, with Tsubaki following them and closing the door behind her.

Turning around, Issei then realized that he was alone with Sona's older sister. The girl held up a hand and motioned Issei.

"Issei Hyoudou. If you would please sit down."

Issei complied and sat at the desk across from Serafall Leviathan. Serafall was normally cheerful, with a childlike air about her, but even she knew when to be serious. Which was why she was cautious with the young boy in front of her.

Maintaining a stoic air about her, not unlike her younger sister, Serafall folded her hands on the desk and spoke.

"My name is Serafall. Serafall Leviathan. I've asked for you here today, because I wanted to talk to you, Issei."

Issei remained quiet. He didn't want to say anything yet. If this woman wanted to talk to him, then the least he could do is be respectful.

Serafall gulped as she spoke carefully.

"I wanted to tell you that we Devils…" Serafall began as she hesitated in her words.

The Satan with the title of Leviathan tapped her hands on the desk.

"Not all Devils are the same, Issei. I know from what happened to you, you might not believe me, and I completely understand if you didn't. However, every Devil is different."

"…"

"What Riser Phenex and Sirzechs-chan did to you in the Underworld…it was completely reckless and inexcusable of them. They caused so much psychological damage to you, all because they wanted to see how…powerful you were."

"…"

Serafall looked up and locked her bright violet eyes with Issei's own multi-colored orbs of sight.

"I just want you to understand something. In spite of what Sirzechs-chan and Riser have done…please understand that the rest of us Devils are in no way like that."

"I get what you're saying, Leviathan-san."

Serafall widened her eyes at Issei's first words since their one-sided conversation. Issei crossed his arms as he adopted a stern expression.

"…I understand that every Devil is different. It's completely unreasonable of me if I were to assume that every Devil is evil. It's not exactly justifiable of me to hate Devils just because two members of their species wronged me."

Serafall's eyes widened further as she listened to Issei's words. Issei sighed as he rubbed his head and looked into Serafall's eyes.

"That's why I suggested to your sister that she and her peerage stay away from me, and vice-versa. That way, there will be no conflict between us."

The Satan with the title of Leviathan's eyes softened as she gazed at Issei.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Issei Hyoudou."

"...I don't hate the Devils. I just don't trust them."

The Devil and Issei remained quiet for a few moments, before Serafall spoke once again.

"There was something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"Hmm?"

"Yesterday, a battle was supposed to commence here at Kuoh Academy. But the one who initiated the fight, which was a Fallen Angel, never showed up."

Issei remained silent as he started to feel that he knew who was supposed to show up. Serafall gave Issei an unreadable gaze.

"When Sona told me about the event that had taken place here, I rushed to get here. The two members on the opposing side were already defeated, and the rest of us Devils waited for the Fallen Angel to show up."

"…"

"But then, another Devil arrived at Kuoh Academy. It was a kid with silver hair. He told us that Kokabiel had already been incapacitated. All thanks to you, Issei."

Issei inwardly scoffed as he remembered the Devil who had asked him to hand over Kokabiel.

As he looked into Serafall's eyes, Issei straightened himself in his seat.

"I just happened to be passing by when I saw Kokabiel. He tried to manipulate and goad me into joining the Fallen Angels."

"?!" Serafall exclaimed as her eyes widened.

Issei closed his eyes as he crossed his arms.

"I refused. Only because I knew he was manipulating me. If that Devil hadn't shown up to retrieve him, not even Kokabiel's ashes would have remained."

The Leviathan felt a chill go up her spine at Issei's last sentence, but she composed herself.

"The reason I'm telling you this, is because I wanted to thank you."

Issei rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"Thank me? I didn't do anything."

Issei widened his eyes when Serafall suddenly gave him a warm smile.

"Because you fought Kokabiel, you prevented an event that would have shaken the Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils. And to top it all off, you saved everyone at Kuoh Academy, including my younger sister and her peerage, as well as Rias-chan and her peerage."

"…"

'So I inadvertently saved all of the Devils at Kuoh Academy? Huh.'

"So, Ise-chan, I thank you for that."

Feeling a little weird at the very affectionate suffix to his nickname, Issei chose not to respond and simply nodded.

The door to the Student Council room opened, revealing Sirzechs and the rest of Riser's peerage.

"Sera?" Sirzechs began.

Serafall smiled in response.

"Yes, Sirzechs-chan. I'm done."

Sitting up from her seat, she walked over to Issei and smiled at him, oblivious to Issei's confused stare. When Serafall was sitting down, Issei couldn't see her lower body, so he was completely shocked that she had a child-like body.

"It was nice talking to you, Ise-chan. I hope we can speak again."

And with that, the older sister of Sona walked out of the Student Council room, leaving Issei with Sirzechs and Riser's peerage.

"Issei Hyoudou." Sirzechs stated as he walked over to sit at the desk across from Issei.

Issei gave Sirzechs an indifferent nod and looked over at the young women who had accompanied the Crimson Satan. Within the crowd he noticed Xuelan, who lowered her gaze from Issei.

As Sirzechs sat down, he placed his hands on his lap and maintained a calm air about him.

"Issei. I believe you know why I am here."

"…Riser's possessions?" Issei asked as he looked over to Xuelan.

"That's right."

"…You already sent Xuelan to my house in order to convince me otherwise. Why are you so eager to give me Riser's inheritance?"

"It's not so much that we are eager, Issei Hyoudou," Sirzechs began. "We are doing what we think is the correct way to amend our ties with you."

Issei rose an eyebrow at the statement, and crossed his arms.

'Pretty strange way to amend relationships.' He thought to himself.

"Wealth won't change my opinions no matter how valuable it is."

"I understand what you are saying."

The young women of Riser's peerage remained quiet as each of them gazed at Issei. Only Xuelan had come in contact with Issei the most, only because the rest of the servants did not want to get on Issei's bad side. However, as they looked at Issei currently, they noticed that he was actually calm while talking to Sirzechs.

Opening his eyes, Issei pointed to Sirzechs.

"I'm willing."

Sirzechs rose an eyebrow at the young man's words.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm willing to consider accepting Riser's inheritance. But I also have conditions."

Sirzechs blinked in surprise for a moment, before he smiled inwardly. Not in amusement, nor in trickery, but in genuine relief.

"Name them."

Issei put his hand under his chin as he looked at the young women in the Student Council room.

"First, they go nowhere near my house."

Xuelan widened her eyes at Issei's first condition. Issei narrowed his eyes as he pointed to the girls.

"I don't like the idea of having fifteen girls in my house. The only three women who should be in the house, are my mother, my cousin Leiko, and Ophis."

"OPHIS?!"

At the mention of the all-powerful Dragon God, Riser's peerage paled, and Sirzechs, to his credit, widened his eyes in a bit of horror and shock.

'Ophis? It lives with Issei Hyoudou? What does it want with him?'

"Ophis? The Infinite Dragon God? It lives with you?"

Issei rose an eyebrow at the personal pronoun Sirzechs used to describe Ophis.

"Yeah, _she_ lives with me."

Sirzechs opened his mouth to reveal to Issei that Ophis was actually genderless, but then he thought better and closed his mouth.

Issei lifted up two fingers and frowned.

"Second, if it's really necessary, only three girls of Riser's peerage can come to my house at a time. Not live, but visit my house. Like I said, fifteen girls in my house is too much for me to handle."

'Not to mention that Ophis would probably throw a fit.' Issei amended in his thoughts.

The young man then lifted another finger as he looked at Sirzechs.

"My third and final condition is…"

* * *

><p><strong>Two Hours Later (Still in the Student Council Room)<strong>

"The blood flow seems to have stopped. I'm surprised Kaichou's Onee-sama, and Sirzechs-sama never commented on your appearance."

"I'm just glad that I was able to keep it together, especially when I was still bleeding."

Tsubaki sent Issei a strange look in response to his statement, and she went to heal the bloodied mark on his stomach. She narrowed her light brown eyes as she peered at the mark.

'It's as though someone stabbed him with a blade. Has he been fighting with a sword?'

She rose an eyebrow questioningly at Issei, who looked down as his cut sealed up. Making sure the spots of blood were gone, Issei put his shirt back down and dusted himself off. He then stood up, and reached to lift Tsubaki up to a standing position.

"Thanks for healing me."

"Consider it Kaichou's gratitude for saving the school from Kokabiel." Tsubaki stated brusquely.

Issei rose an eyebrow at Tsubaki's response.

"Inadvertently. Don't forget inadvertently." Issei said as he walked away from the girl.

"Issei."

Stopping in his tracks, Issei turned around to face Tsubaki, who kept her gaze on the young man.

"…Has your initial opinion of the Devils lessened?"

Issei was silent as he thought of his response. As much as he wanted to deny it, he really could not blame every single Devil in this world. Sirzechs Lucifer and Riser Phenex were the only Devils who had wronged him.

Sure it was natural for Issei to dislike those specific Devils from a certain standpoint, but…as he realized from what Serafall had stated earlier…he then realized that not all Devils were the same.

Gaining a serious look in his eyes, Issei frowned as he looked off to the side.

"Not every Devil is the same," Issei began quietly. "So it isn't fair of me to assume that all Devils are the same, when two of them had already set themselves up for a bad appearance, while the two of them here were actually nice to me."

Tsubaki maintained her sharp stare as she remained quiet. Issei narrowed his eyes and looked at Sona's Queen.

"I don't hate the Devils, Shinra-san. That's all I have to say."

And with that, Issei walked out of the Student Council room, leaving Tsubaki alone.

"What kind of being are you, Issei Hyoudou?"

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Walking upstairs to his room, Issei looked up to see Ophis sitting on his bed. Her expression seemed to be more devoid of emotion, which worried Issei.

"Ophis? Are you all right?"

"No. I am not all right."

Issei widened his eyes.

'Her speech changed. She's talking normally now.'

Ophis turned to look at Issei, and her eyes lowered into an expression akin to sadness.

"My Issei. You are troubled. That worries me."

"Troubled? No I'm fine, Op-"

"No. You are not." Ophis said as she interrupted Issei.

"You are troubled, my Issei. Your energy has become less radiant. Less pure. I do not like that."

Issei widened his eyes further as he listened to Ophis's words. Her dark-gray eyes narrowing sadly, Ophis got up from the bed and walked over to Issei, placing her hands on his cheeks.

"Issei belongs to me," Ophis began possessively. "No one shall take you away from me. Issei is mine, because you are not a bad person. You are my first and only mate."

'Ophis…' Issei thought.

Ophis then pressed Issei against her, placing his head at the base of her neck.

"I like it when Issei is happy. I do not like it when you are conflicted. I do not like it when you are distant from me. I do not like that at all."

Issei's eyes softened as he looked away.

'Am I really becoming darker?'

"My Issei."

At the call of his name, Issei looked into Ophis's eyes. Ophis brought her face close to Issei's own.

"I love silence. I love Issei. Silence is my second love. Issei Hyoudou…my Issei is my first love. I love you…my Issei. You are mine."

Issei widened his eyes in amazement, and was too late to react, when Ophis brought her face closer and pressed her lips onto Issei's own. The young man widened his eyes at Ophis's possessive lock on his lips, claiming them as hers only.

The young man felt as though time had just stopped for him. And how could he not? This was his first time kissing someone. And he certainly didn't expect the Infinite Dragon God to claim his first kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

Ddraig smirked as he watched his wielder's kiss stolen by the Dragon God.

**{Kukukuku. Interesting. It seems that one of the strongest existences has fallen for my host. Kukukuku. I must say, that I am impressed.}**

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Room<strong>

Ophis released her lips from Issei's own and gave the young man a smile.

"A kiss. I like that."

Issei stood shell-shocked and he touched his own lips in amazement.

'Huh.'

He tensed when Ophis suddenly gripped his collar and held him possessively.

"Do you understand, Issei? I do not like it when you are not happy. I do not like it when you are not with me. I do not like that, not at all."

Issei blinked several times, before he closed his eyes and gently grabbed Ophis's hand.

"Sorry, Ophis. It's just that I'm not used to…being with someone."

He then opened his eyes and looked into Ophis's own.

"I don't know what will happen in the future, but I do know this. I'll be with you all the way, Ophis. I promise you."

In emphasis to his statement, Issei tightened his hold on Ophis's hand and sent her a smile. Ophis smiled in response and placed her head on Issei's shoulder.

"My Issei."


	5. Brothers-In-Law

**Outside of Kuoh Academy**

Issei relaxed into a comfortable position as he sat under the shade of the tree. His back was currently leaning against the tall plant, his eyes closed in a rather peaceful manner.

He had no idea what compelled him to wake up so early in the morning. Perhaps it was his old habit of wanting to see the Sun rise up to the sky as much as he could.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." A familiar voice uttered gently.

At the sound of the voice, Issei opened his eyes and looked up to see a brown-haired young woman gazing at him with crimson-ruby eyes. His vision slightly blurry, Issei blinked as he leaned forward to see who it was.

"Leiko-san?"

"Rise and shine, Ise-itoko." Leiko Hyoudou greeted with a smile.

The young man blinked again. What was Leiko doing here?

Moving her eyes away from Issei for the moment, Leiko turned to look at the rising Sun in the sky. A small smile formed on her face as she chuckled softly, and she looked back to her younger cousin.

"Mind if I sit with you?" She asked.

In response to his cousin's request, Issei scooted over to give her some room on the ground, to which Leiko happily took. As she sat down next to her cousin, Leiko laid her elbows on her knees and leaned her head on the tree.

The two cousins were silent as they watched the short cycle of the Sun. A few minutes later, the silence was broken by the elder Hyoudou.

"It's been a long time since we've done this." Leiko remarked with a nostalgic air in her voice, "We used to watch the Sun when we were little."

"...Yeah." Issei said softly with a faint smile of his own.

Looking over to her cousin, Leiko tilted her head slightly. She watched her cousin as he looked up at the sky almost wistfully.

Just as Leiko's mind was about to become almost side-tracked, the sound of her younger cousin's voice brought her back to reality.

"Leiko-san?"

"Hmm?" She hummed in reply.

The younger Hyoudou moved his head to look at his older cousin.

"Your hair's back to normal." He observed, "Did you stop dyeing it or something?"

Leiko suppressed a snicker as she folded her arms.

"Glad you noticed." She said, "Yes as a matter of fact, I did stop dyeing it, Ise-itoko. Why do you ask? Do I still look like an Angel?"

She was only teasing her cousin when she asked him the question; so the response he gave her immediately made her mind stop in its tracks.

"Of course you do, Leiko-san." Issei answered sincerely.

"?!" Leiko gasped at her cousin's answer.

"Now that I think about it," Issei continued as he rubbed the back of his head, "I think some Angels have brown hair too."

Leiko was silent as she felt her cheeks heat up. She quickly looked back up at the sky to avoid her younger cousin's eyes.

"It's a little weird actually." Issei said as he frowned slightly.

"What's weird?" Leiko couldn't resist asking.

"That you still kind of look like an Angel, Leiko-san." Her younger cousin began, "And yet I haven't really seen anyone try to ask you out or show any interest in you."

Leiko could practically feel her entire face steaming due to the impact of her cousin's words. Nevertheless, Issei was a bit correct. No one had ever asked her out before.

_'That's because you're not interested in anyone but hi-'_ Her conscience almost told her before she quickly shut it out.

Leiko struggled to gather her thoughts and ignore her conscience. Her face was still red, and the spiraling thoughts that consisted of her younger cousin wasn't making things any easier.

"It's because of you." Leiko said quietly.

"Because of me?" Issei repeated, causing Leiko to jump in shock.

Leiko's eyes widened in shock as she quickly shut her mouth.

Had she said that out loud?

"What's because of me?" Issei asked innocently.

The elder Hyoudou's mouth remained open as she tried to think coherently. Seconds later, she turned her head away as she attempted to form a legitimate frown.

"T-that my face is all red, you dummy!" She pouted, "You shouldn't say things like that. Especially when you don't mean them."

"But I do mean it, Leiko-san." Issei insisted, unintentionally making his older cousin's heart flutter.

Leiko's attempted frown immediately disappeared and was replaced by a look of shock. She mustered up the will to hold in her ever-growing blush, and gave her younger cousin a false look of annoyance.

"You shouldn't lie to your cousin like that." She muttered.

"But I wouldn't lie to you, Leiko-san." Issei insisted again, "What kind of cousin would I be if I never told you the truth?"

The elder Hyoudou felt her entire body shake, her heart beating and fluttering quickly. As her frown disappeared, Leiko reacted and suddenly hugged her cousin tightly.

"?!" Issei gasped in surprise, not expecting his cousin to do that.

Not hearing or either ignoring Issei's response, Leiko tightened her hug and moved her lips to her cousin's cheek.

"_Chu..."_

Issei's eyes widened as Leiko placed a sweet yet chaste kiss on his cheek. Seconds later, Leiko ended the kiss and released her cousin from her embrace.

"L-Leiko-san?" Issei said as he rubbed his cheek in confusion.

Leiko chuckled softly at the look her cousin was giving her. Her 'Ise-itoko' really was something else. If only he wasn't so naive and literal-minded sometimes.

_'And what exactly is wrong with that?', _Her very annoying conscience made itself known once more, _'You know you love that trait of his.'_

Leiko ignored the small part of her psyche for the time being, and beamed a small smile at Issei, who blinked only once at her.

Yes, her 'Ise-itoko' was indeed something else.

* * *

><p><strong>Inside of Kuoh Academy<strong>

Walking into his classroom, Issei widened his eyes when he noticed someone who he hadn't seen in a while.

"Yuuma-san."

Raynare, in the form of Yuuma, sat quietly at her desk. Issei gained a serious look in his eyes as he detected her energy signal.

'Hmm. She's a Fallen Angel. Gotta say, I didn't see that coming.'

Raynare looked up and her violet eyes widened as she saw Issei looking at her. Locking her eyes with his, Raynare held herself and looked away.

"Welcome back." Issei said to her.

"…"

Issei sighed as he walked over to the Fallen Angel. Crossing his arms, Issei looked out of the window.

"I take the reason you haven't been here, was because of me. Right?" Issei asked as he looked back to Raynare.

"Not exactly."

"Hmm?"

"Originally, I stopped coming here was because of your anger towards the Devils. I assumed that as soon as you came into contact with one here, you would explode or something."

Raynare looked up at Issei and crossed her arms.

"When Vali Lucifer, the Devil who brought back Kokabiel, told us that you were the one who bisected Kokabiel, I was honestly terrified."

"…"

"Kokabiel. He called you a monster. The most terrifying being he had ever come in contact with."

"A monster? What a hypocrite."

"Huh?"

Raynare widened her eyes in confusion as Issei sent her a bitter smile.

"I'm not a Devil. I'm not a Fallen Angel. I'm not an Angel. Hell, I'm not even human."

"Issei-kun…"

"How can he say something like that?"

Raynare's eyes remained widened in awe as she listened to Issei's words.

"Tch."

He then looked down to Raynare.

"I don't hold anything against you, Yuuma-san. To me, race doesn't matter. I still consider you an acquaintance."

Raynare couldn't speak as she felt a luminescent blush form on her face.

"Issei."

Both Issei and Raynare looked up to see Xuelan walking towards them. Raynare narrowed her eyes at the Chinese Devil, while Issei maintained a calm stance.

"Xuelan-san." Issei greeted as he nodded to her.

Nodding and smiling at Issei in response, Xuelan sent Raynare an unreadable glance, and set her gaze back to Issei.

"The rest of the girls and I wanted to know…what time of the meeting to talk about Riser's inheritance is good for you?"

Issei adopted a thoughtful expression as he pondered his decision.

'No doubt Riser had a lot of stuff in his possessions. Maybe I'll bring Ophis with me when I go to this meeting.'

"Let's have the meeting in two days." Issei answered.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Ophis, what is this place?"

"This is my home. The Dimensional Gap."

"Hmm. It's a beautiful place."

The Dimensional Gap existed as the gap between the realms, Earth, Heaven, and the Underworld. It had the appearance of an endless void, where in every direction, there was a mix of iridescent colors.

Originally the birthplace of Ophis, it was currently 'rented' by none other than the Apocalypse Dragon, the Great Red.

Ophis narrowed her eyes as she sensed the Dragon who took her home.

"Baka-Red."

"Huh?" Issei asked.

Before Ophis could reply, a crack tore through the Dimensional Gap, revealing a massive red Western Dragon with golden eyes. Issei widened his eyes as he sensed the overwhelming power of the Dragon in his sight.

'Amazing.'

"Baka-Red." Ophis muttered.

Great Red, the Apocalypse Dragon, and the True Red Dragon God Emperor paused in his motion as he glared down at Ophis. He then stopped when he noticed something different about the Ouroboros Dragon.

"Ophis? Did you grow?"

Ophis frowned as she refused to answer the Great Red's question. Huffing at her lack of response, the Apocalypse Dragon turned to look at Issei Hyoudou, and his golden eyes widened a little.

'Hmm. I remember this energy. It's from this kid. Hmm. This must be the one Ophis was talking about when she went through that tangent of hers.'

Issei stared wide-eyed as he looked at the colossal Dragon.

'His power's completely off the charts! His strength, when compared to Ophis'…they feel about the same.'

Staring at Issei for a moment, Great Red turned his attention to Ophis, who was still glaring at him.

"Hey, Ophis. Is this the kid that…belongs to you?"

"Yes. My Issei is mine."

"Huh." Great Red said as he looked back to Issei.

"Ophis, who is this guy?" Issei whispered to Ophis as he leaned closer to her.

"He is the Apocalypse Dragon. The Great Red. His strength lies within the dreams and realities of beings. He is the reason…I have left my home. He…took my home away from me."

Issei widened his eyes and looked up at Great Red in confusion. The young man narrowed his eyes and then levitated, flying up to the height of Great Red's horn.

"So you're the reason why Ophis ran away from her home."

"So she says." Great Red countered.

The True Red Dragon God Emperor and Issei suddenly began to emit auras from their bodies. Emitting from Great Red's scales was the vast crimson energy pressure. Emitting from Issei was the flames from his Super Solar form.

Staring at each other, the auras of Issei and Great Red began to expand.

"You know," Issei began. "In a way, you and Ophis balance each other out. She represents the nothingness of Infinity. You, on the other hand, represent the power of dreams. Nothingness is infinite all by itself, but your power…as long as dreams continue to exist, then your strength is infinite as well."

"Humph. Nice observation, brat."

"If you really think about it, since you two more or less represent the aspects of Infinity, that would sort of make you and Ophis related. Like siblings."

"That's right."

"That would also make you...sort of like...my brother-in-law."

"So it seems."

The tension between Issei and the True Red Dragon God Emperor was fierce as their boundless auras expanded within the Dimensional Gap. The two strong beings narrowed their eyes as they stared at each other.

Ophis watched the scene with a cold expression, waiting to see what would happen to her mate, and her enemy/sibling. But what happened next was something not even the Infinite Dragon would've been able to predict.

"WHOO! HIGH-FIVE!" Issei and Great Red cheered out simultaneously as they clashed their hands together. As soon as their hands touched, the destructive power of Great Red collided with Issei's Solar Energy, causing the Dimensional Gap to shake momentarily.

"…What." Ophis muttered silently.

The Ouroboros Dragon widened her eyes at the most shocking thing in her life.

'My Issei and Great Red...getting along?'

"Kakakaka! How interesting. So Ophis has claimed you as her mate! That could only mean we were destined to be brothers!" Great Red exclaimed as he smirked at Issei.

Issei smiled as he clenched his hand into a fist.

'This is too awesome for words! One of the two strongest beings in existence…and he's my brother-in-law! AWESOME!'

Grinning widely at each other, Great Red and Issei bumped fists, chuckling at the other. Ophis, on the other hand, looked at her mate and….her 'brother' in absolute astonishment.

Smiling widely, Issei turned to look at Ophis.

"Ophis, Great Red doesn't seem like a bad guy. He's just being a good brother."

Narrowing her eyes at her mate for the first time, Ophis flew up to Issei and glared at the Great Red, pointing to him.

"Great Red is noisy. He is distracting. He makes too much noise. I, was born here first. He, needs to leave."

Issei shared a glance with the Great Red, before they looked back at Ophis. Ophis's eyes twitched as she palmed her face in a manner similar to the one she had learned it from.

"This is embarrassing. My mate and Great Red...brothers-in-law. This is not fair."

"Oh come on, Ophis. Don't be mean to your brother. Kakakaka." Great Red cackled as he gave Ophis a cheeky grin.

Feeling an unfamiliar emotion within her, Ophis held out her hand and began to charge a black energy blast towards the Great Red, who widened his eyes at the unexpected attack.

Issei rose an eyebrow at the scene and sighed.

'They sure do fight like siblings. Ophis, being the oldest, and Great Red being the youngest.'

"Hey! Ophis cut it out!" Great Red yelled out in annoyance.

"I shall blast Baka-Red's mouth." Ophis said in a menacing tone as she increased the intensity of her energy blast.

"Yep, definitely like siblings." Issei amended.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

"Well that wasn't too bad."

"I, did not like your interaction with Baka-Red."

Issei smiled as he looked to the side to see Ophis lying next to him on the bed. The Infinite Dragon God frowned cutely at her mate as she held him close.

After the revelation that she and Great Red were in fact 'related', Ophis, for the first time, was shocked. Her shock had turned to horrified realization when Issei pointed out that he and the Great Red were, in simpler terms, 'brothers-in-law'.

To put it short, Ophis was not happy at all about this.

"You don't have to worry, Ophis. Great Red doesn't really seem that bad to me." Issei said.

Issei looked at the Ouroboros Dragon curiously, and blinked several times. Ophis gazed at her mate with her usual emotionless expression, though the look on her face appeared to be more annoyed than anything.

"Baka-Red, is too noisy. He, annoys me."

"He's like your opposite. You like quiet places, while Great Red is noisy like a biker guy."

"Exactly. He, is my antithesis."

"I'm not so sure about that, Ophis."

Ophis tilted her head at Issei's statement, and rose an eyebrow in a questioning matter.

"What do you mean?"

Sitting up straight, Issei smiled at the Infinite Dragon God.

"It's like I said earlier. You both represent Infinity. You were born from the Nothingness of Infinity, while Great Red was born from Dreams. You and Great Red, in my opinion, are the absolute strongest beings in existence, Ophis. You're also my family, and I'm glad that I got to know you both."

Even though Ophis' facial expression remained cold and emotionless, she felt something stir within her. Ever since she was born, Ophis felt only the nothingness of eternity, possessing no ounce of emotion. When floating around in the Dimensional Gap, she merely basked in the nothingness in her home. All she desired was silence, as it was initially her first craving.

Then many years later, the being in front of her was born. When sensing his energy for the first time, she felt something clouding over her state of nothingness.

"My Issei. My mate." Ophis stated as she hugged Issei tighter.

The Infinite Dragon God's love for Issei, to put in shorter terms, was infinite. In a way, all three of them, herself, Issei, and Great Red, represented a certain aspect of Infinity. Ophis was Nothingness, Great Red was Illusion of Dreams, and Issei…

'My Issei. His energy is virtually infinite. He, is like myself and Great Red. My…Issei, represents the quasi-aspect of Infinity.'

"Issei…"

Ophis blinked and looked to see her mate sleeping peacefully. Tilting her head, Ophis released Issei from her arms, and brought her hand to caress his cheek gently.

"My Issei. You are sleeping, like an Angel."

A sly smile formed on Ophis' face as she tilted her head. Her sharp dark-gray eyes glinted as she smiled wider.

"If my Issei was an Angel, only I shall be the one to make him fall into Nothingness. I, am Nothingness. Issei, is mine. I, am the Nothingness that will hide its mate. I, love my Issei.

* * *

><p><strong>Outside Issei's House<strong>

"Rias, this is a terrible idea. No scratch that, it's a stupid idea."

"Hush, Sona!"

Sona rolled her eyes as she watched her childhood friend set the ladder in front of Issei's house. The Sitri Devil shook her head in disappointment.

After Serafall and Tsubaki had informed her that Issei's opinion of the Devils had changed for the better, Sona did not hesitate to tell Rias about the news.

'What a horrible mistake.'

Eager to introduce herself to Issei, Rias followed the traces of Issei's energy and tracked it to his house. Sona, worried about what her friend was getting herself into, followed her to make sure nothing would happen.

"Rias, why did you even bring a ladder?"

Sighing tiredly, Rias turned to glare at her friend.

"Because If I knock on his house door, there's a chance Ophis might answer. Tsubaki already told us how possessive Ophis was of Issei, so that plan is sure to fail epically. I'm not going to risk that. And I'm not dumb enough to teleport in his room either. So using a ladder is a sure and much safer way to talk to Issei."

"…Have fun get beaten up by Ophis then." Sona said as she walked away from her friend, quickly losing hope and patience towards Rias.

Pouting at her friend, Rias scoffed and climbed up the ladder, almost all the way to the top of Issei's room window.

The crimson-haired Devil held in her breath as she took another step and she climbed up the ladder. Raising her head up, her blue-green eyes widened when she looked into a pair of dark-gray soulless eyes.

"…"

"…Boo."

"AHHHHHH!"

Rias screamed in terror as she fell off the ladder, landing on the grass with a thud. Rubbing her sore head, Rias looked up to see Ophis staring down at her from Issei's window.

'Ophis!'

The Ouroboros Dragon suddenly granted Rias a sly smile and narrowed her eyes.

"Issei belongs to me." She stated menacingly.

Looking at the standing ladder, Ophis smiled wider and lifted up a finger. A black spark of energy began to emit from her finger, and the Infinite Dragon God shot the blast at the ladder, completely disintegrating it to ashes.

"?!" Rias gasped.

As she watched the ladder crumbling to pieces, Ophis set her sights to Rias, and gave her a smug smile.

"Enjoy the climb back up, bitch."

Ignoring the shocked and horrified look on Rias's face, Ophis closed Issei's window and walked away to sit next to her mate on the bed.

As she sat on the ground, Rias widened her eyes as she realized something.

'Did Ophis just call me a bitch?!'

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Room<strong>

"My Issei." Ophis stated in satisfaction as she went to lay on Issei's bed.

Her eyes then widened in shock when she saw that Issei was no longer in his bed. The Ouroboros Dragon narrowed her eyes darkly as she immediately knew who could have taken her precious mate.

* * *

><p><strong>The Dimensional Gap<strong>

Issei and Great Red stared at each other quietly. Issei rubbed his eyes tiredly, trying to figure out how Great Red, who was a colossal Dragon, was able to stealthily bring him to the Dimensional Gap without Ophis noticing.

Issei rubbed his head awkwardly, while Great Red looked around the Dimensional Gap in boredom. While they both were happy that they were more or less family now, they had no idea what the other liked.

As from what Ophis had told (or complained) to Issei, Great Red apparently liked to perform crazy moves within the Dimensional Gap.

'Crazy moves, huh? Hmm, now that I think about it, I heard at school that there was supposed to be a motorcycle racing tournament later on.' Issei thought.

It was at that moment that both Issei and Great Red began to read each other thoughts. Both of their eyes widened as they found that they were thinking of a certain subject.

Smiling widely at each other, Issei and Great Red rose their fists up and pointed to each other knowingly.

"Ohhhhhhh…"

"Ohhhhhhh…"

They then bumped fists, their vast energies colliding against each other in a flare of crimson-solar energy, causing the Dimensional Gap to shake once again.

"Wanna go ride motorcycles?" Issei asked.

Great Red gave Issei a wide smirk.

"Bitchin."

"Baka-Red!"

Issei and Great Red turned to see Ophis glaring at the two with a furious look on her face.

"...Crap." Great Red uttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

'I don't think I've ever seen Ophis mad before.'

Clenching her fists, Ophis glared darkly at Issei, who was feeling a little mindful about how he was going to calm the Ouroboros Dragon down.

"Ophis-"

"Baka-Red." Ophis grumbled.

Issei gulped as he tried to sit still. He knew he wasn't the only one suffering. As soon as he and Great Red tried to teleport to the motorcycle tournament, Ophis appeared in the Dimensional Gap.

…Needless to say, Issei and Great Red knew they were both in trouble. After looking regretfully at Great Red, Issei opted to teleport himself back to his home, as he knew Ophis would save him for last.

And now here he was, at the mercy of the Infinite Dragon God.

"Ophis-"

"Why, were you with Baka-Red?" Ophis asked darkly.

Issei wanted to point out that Great Red was actually the one who took him to the Dimensional Gap in the first place. But he didn't want to put his brother-in-law into any more trouble.

Sighing, Issei bravely walked up to the Dragon God, ready to explain.

"Earlier at school, I heard about a motorcycle racing tournament. Since you told me that Great Red liked doing crazy moves, I thought it would be a good event for him."

"..."

Issei blinked several times as he waited for Ophis to speak her mind.

The Ouroboros Dragon currently had conflicting thoughts. On one hand, she didn't like Great Red's influence on her mate, but on the other hand, the desire to keep Issei all to herself, predominated her thoughts.

"Ophis. do you really hate it when Great Red and I try to spend time together?"

"I, do not hate it. I, do not like it when you are not with me."

Issei widened his eyes in realization.

"So you wanted to go with us, then?"

Ophis walked closer to Issei and lifted her finger, placing it on Issei's forehead.

"It does not matter where you and I go. As long as I am with my Issei, then I am satisfied."

"Ophis…"

"I, love my Issei. When Baka-Red stole you from me when I was distracted, I, felt worry. Baka-Red has already stole and occupied my home for some time. The very act of Baka-Red trying to steal you away from me. That is unacceptable."

The young man widened his eyes when he felt Ophis' hands on his cheek. As he looked into Ophis' eyes, he no longer detected the usual emotionless or possessive look in her eyes. Her eyes now showed worry, emptiness, and…love.

'Ophis' eyes look so empty.'

Placing his hands on the Infinite Dragon God's own, Issei offered Ophis a soft smile.

"Ophis, you don't have to worry. Like I said, I'll be by your side. I'll protect you and be with you, anyway that I can. I promise you."

Issei then smiled wider and placed his hands on Ophis' chest, so he could feel the Dragon God's heartbeat.

"You always say you were born out of the Nothingness of Infinity. So if that's true, that must mean I'm the part of Infinity that…I guess in a way, overflows past Nothingness."

Ophis' eyes began to gain a softer edge as she listened to Issei's words. She widened her eyes when she felt something wet slide down from her eye.

"M-My Issei." The Infinite Dragon God stuttered.

Issei's smile softened as he went to rub the tear away from Ophis' eyes.

"You, Great Red, and I guess we're like a Trinity."

"A trinity?"

Issei smiled as he pointed to Ophis.

"The Nothingness of Infinity."

He then pointed to his own head, tapping it twice in alluding to dreams.

"Great Red, the Illusion of Dreams."

He then pointed to himself and paused.

"Hmm. Well, I don't exactly know what aspect of Infinity I represent, but I do know this. I'm the Infinity that completely fills up Nothingness."

Ophis stared wide-eyed at Issei.

'My Issei.'

The young man in front of her filled the Infinity she represented. He was one who existed to burst within the Void, to completely surpass the trenches of Nothingness. That was why Ophis felt so…content with Issei. He filled her…with so much raw emotion. He made her feel so much. So many emotions, an aspect she had always thought she would never experience.

Feeling herself overwhelmed by a sudden rush of emotion, Ophis locked her lips with Issei, once more claiming his lips as her own. The Ouroboros Dragon loved Issei deeply, her desire growing to the point that she wanted to be with him forever.

She, Great Red, and Issei all represented the aspects of Infinity, and although Ophis still didn't tolerate the presence of Great Red, as long as Issei remained with her, then she could endure.

Releasing her lips from Issei's own, Ophis hugged Issei in a softer grip.

"Are you all right now, Ophis?" Issei asked quietly.

"…Yes, I am fine, my Issei."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Day at the Mansion of the Phenex Clan<strong>

"Huh. So this is the Phenex mansion."

"Issei. Why, are we here?"

Issei smiled as he looked over towards Ophis, who held his hand. The couple stood in front of a large white mansion.

"I'm supposed to get some benefits today, Ophis."

Ophis tilted her head as she looked at the mansion.

"Benefits?" She asked.

Issei nodded in response.

"Yeah," Issei began as he rubbed his head. "The Devils are so eager to give me Riser's inheritance. Well, might as well go inside."

As Ophis held his hand tightly, Issei walked with her inside the Phenex mansion, looking around his surroundings in awe.

"Issei."

Both Issei and Ophis looked to see Xuelan walking over to them with a smile on her face. Her smile faltered a little when she noticed the powerful aura of Ophis, but she managed to compose herself as she looked back to Issei.

"I'll show you to where the meeting is. I'm glad you could make it."

Xuelan led Issei and Ophis through a series of hallways and doors, until the trio stopped a door painted in gold. Gaining an almost nervous look on her face, Xuelan sent Issei a slight smile.

"This is it." She said as she opened the door, revealing a large number of Devils.

* * *

><p>Inside the room were none other than Sirzechs Lucifer and Lord Phenex who both looked to see Issei. They both widened their eyes and tensed as they noticed the Ouroboros Dragon holding Issei's hand. But eventually they composed themselves and turned to look at Issei and nodded to them.<p>

"Issei Hyoudou." They greeted simultaneously.

Issei nodded to the both of them as he sat down on the remaining seat. As he looked around, he found that there were no more seats in the room. Before he could say anything, Ophis suddenly plopped down onto his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck possessively.

The Devils in the room all widened their eyes in bafflement, including Sirzechs and Lord Phenex. The sight of an adult Ophis sitting on a teenage Issei's lap, brought a somewhat misleading thought to the Devils' minds.

Surprisingly able to keep calm about the position Ophis was in, Issei nodded to Lord Phenex.

"So let's start the meeting."

"As you wish." Riser's father stated.

Clearing his throat, the Phenex lord clasped his hands together.

"Issei Hyoudou. As a result of the actions of Riser Phenex, you have been bestowed his possessions. To what you have inherited is of a great importance."

Issei nodded as he listened to the next part.

"According to the documents regarding Riser's inheritance, you have been granted thirty billion bloodstones, this mansion and all of its items within it, secrets of the Phenex Clan possessions, and lastly-"

**{Kukukuku. So you finally came to your senses and accepted what you have earned.}**

Issei widened his eyes at the unexpected arrival of the deep voice.

'Ddraig?'

**{Long time no talk, partner. I must say, you getting the possessions of a member of the Phenex Clan will be beneficial for you. The only question is: how good will it be?}**

'I...I don't know exactly.'

**{You remember what I told you during our battle? When you transformed into your Hell-Fire state for the first time during your battle with Riser Phenex, you gained the powers of a Phoenix. Do you know what that means, partner?}**

'No.'

**{That means, technically, you're part Phoenix. Part of the legendary creature. Kukukuku.}**

'Part Phoenix?'

Issei widened his eyes as he found himself unable to speak.

**{But the good thing is, you're still not a Devil. You're just a Phoenix. That's something to be happy about.}**

'I...I'm not too sure about that, Ddraig.'

**{You need to be partner. Humph. Kukukuku. See you around.}**

Issei remained quiet as he felt Ddraig retreat into his subconscious.

"-trillion yen."

"Huh?" Issei stuttered as he came back to reality.

Lord Phenex stopped in his explanation as he noticed Issei's expression. Blinking several times, Issei shook his head and nodded.

He looked up at Ophis and smiled at her, ensuring to her that he was all right. He then looked back to Lord Phenex and Sirzechs.

"That's uh...that's a lot of money."

"That, is an understatement." Ophis added in her two cents.

The Devils in the room noticed the sultry, yet emotionless tone within Ophis' speech. Clearing his throat again, Lord Phenex resumed his explanation.

"Also, you constantly gain a large surplus of 5 million bloodstones a week. And much more."

Issei rose an eyebrow in amazement.

'The Underworld sure is rich.'

**{Understatement of the Millennia, partner.}**

'Oh, you're still here. I thought we were going to talk later.'

**{You thought wrong.}**

"Here, Issei. Take this."

Issei widened his eyes when Sirzechs suddenly handed him something. It was a card that featured the symbols of the Phenex Clan.

"A credit card?"

"That's right. The credit card is connected to the money that the Phenex Clan wields, and it works just like the ones the humans use in your world."

Turning the card around silently, Issei handed it to Ophis, who took it and looked at it with a concentrated expression.

Smiling at the look on Ophis's face, Issei brought his attention to Lord Phenex and Sirzechs.

"So is there anything else?"

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of the Phenex Mansion<strong>

Issei crossed his arms as he watched the fifteen members of Riser's peerage staring right at him. Next to him was Ophis, who had her cheeks puffed out like an irritated chipmunk.

'I, do not like the way they are staring at you.' Ophis stated telepathically to Issei.

'It's all right, Ophis. You don't need to worry.'

As he looked at Riser's peerage, he could already point out Xuelan, Mira, and…Yubelluna. Issei narrowed his eyes a little at Yubelluna. Riser's Queen widened her eyes and quickly looked away. Looking at the other members, Issei noticed a girl with blonde hair and dark blue eyes looking at him with an unreadable expression.

Issei closed his eyes as he concentrated.

'Looks like she could be Riser's sister.'

"Apparently from what Riser's father and Sirzechs said, all of Riser's possessions are bestowed upon me. I just want to say this…"

The young man opened his eyes and pointed at Riser's peerage.

"You girls stay here at the Phenex mansion. In order to live comfortably, I'll give you enough bloodstones to support yourselves."

Holding Ophis' hand, a wave of solar flares began to form around Issei and the Ouroboros Dragon. His sight focusing on Xuelan, Issei nodded to her.

"You remember what I said. If it's really necessary, only three of you can visit my house. Only three. That's it. I can't have all fifteen of you in my house."

And with that, Issei disappeared with Ophis, leaving Riser's peerage to stay at the Phenex mansion.

* * *

><p><strong>The Dimensional Gap<strong>

"So have you calmed down now, Ophis?"

"Yes, I have. Brother."

"What? No calling me Baka-Red anymore? I'm touched. And you called me brother."

"You, are still annoying."

"What the hell did you just-"

"Ophis, Red, please calm down."

Great Red sighed as he peered down at his brother-in-law. Ophis removed her stare from Great Red and sent her mate an emotionless expression.

Issei had convinced Ophis to travel to the Dimensional Gap so she and Great Red could 'reconcile'.

It seemed to be working so far.

Ophis narrowed her eyes as she looked up at Great Red.

"I, apologize for ruining your fun with my mate."

Great Red grinned and nodded.

"Thanks for the apology, sis."

"You, shall apologize as well."

"What?! Why?!"

Ophis narrowed her eyes and flew up to Great Red's horn.

"You, stole my Issei when I was not looking. You, took him without my permission. Issei, is mine."

"Yeah but he's my brother-in-law."

"He, is my mate." Ophis countered.

"All right, fine! I'm sorry, all right?!"

"Apology, is accepted."

Issei chuckled a bit as he watched the scene.

'Well at least they're getting along.'

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

**{Ah, partner. Long time no see. Have you come here to train?}**

Issei kept quiet as he looked at Ddraig. When the Red Dragon Emperor had started that conversation with him earlier, it honestly confused Issei.

"Not today. I just want to talk."

**{Humph. Then speak.}**

"Earlier today, you said my Hell-Fire transformation made me a Phoenix. What exactly did you mean by that?"

Raising an eyebrow, Ddraig chuckled and placed the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi on his back, crossing his arms in amusement.

**{You have no idea how powerful your Hell-Fire transformation is, do you partner?}**

"…No, I don't."

**{Kukukuku.}**

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of Issei's Subconscious<strong>

Issei was laying on his couch, while meditating and talking to Ddraig within his subconscious. Next to him was Ophis, who was sitting next to him. As she watched Issei, her dark gray eyes narrowed in concentration.

"I, sense the Welsh Dragon within my mate."

The Ouroboros Dragon then set her sights to the middle of the room as she noticed a bright silver circle glowing on the ground. A silhouette suddenly emerged from the circle and cleared, revealing a beautiful and voluptuous woman with curly blonde hair. The woman had her eyes closed with a peaceful look on her face.

Narrowing her eyes darkly, Ophis placed her hand on Issei's forehead.

Opening her bright eyes, Gabriel, the Most Beautiful Woman in Heaven, widened her eyes in surprise when she noticed one of the strongest beings in existence clinging to Issei.

"O-Ophis? The Infinite Dragon God?"

Holding Issei tighter within her grasp, Ophis set her narrowed eyes directly to Gabriel.

"Seraph Angel Gabriel. What do you want with Issei?"

Gabriel remained speechless as she set her sight on the Infinite Dragon God's grasp on Issei.

'When did Ophis find Issei? And what is it doing with him?'

Ophis maintained her glare at Gabriel, and held onto Issei tighter with her grip. Gabriel widened her eyes further as she noticed Ophis' appearance.

'Its' appearance changed again. The last time I heard, Ophis took the form of an elderly man. Then it took the form of a young girl. And now…it's in the form of an adult woman. And its body shape seems similar to mine.'

Suddenly, Ophis' body began to glow with a blackish aura, before a lone snake began to manifest. Gabriel gasped as the snake morphed into the form Ophis took when she first encountered Issei.

'A-another Ophis?! It took the form of its young female state.'

Ophis looked at her double and tilted her head. Mimicking her original progenitor, the double tilted her head as well. She then sat on the ground and gazed at her original progenitor.

While appearing just like Ophis, the double's facial expression appeared to be more devoid of emotion.

Ophis lifted her finger up and pointed to her clone.

"I, shall call you Lilith."

Tilting her head again, the second Ophis, rechristened Lilith, set her sights to Gabriel.

"I, am Lilith."

Lilith then narrowed her eyes and pointed to the Seraph Angel.

"And Issei, belongs to us.'

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

"Ddraig what did you mean when you said I became a Phoenix? I thought when I absorbed Riser's flames, the Hell-Fire transformation was the only result."

**{Humph. So naïve, partner.}**

Issei rose an eyebrow as Ddraig shook his head. The Red Dragon Emperor looked up as the sky in his host's inner world began to change. Huffing lightly to himself, Ddraig turned his attention back to Issei.

**{Partner. The mythical Phoenix symbolizes immortality and rebirth. The Phenex Clan possesses abilities that are akin to that of the Phoenix itself. Riser Phenex, because he was a member of the Phenex Clan, was not exempt from inheriting these traits. When you absorbed his flames, you gained the physiology of the legendary Phoenix.}**

Issei widened his eyes as he listened to Ddraig's words.

"So I'm actually a Phoenix now?"

**{Not completely. You're part Phoenix. Since you possess the physiology of one, you have all the powers and attributes of the legendary creature.}**

"…That's a lot to take in."

**{Kukukuku. I'd thought you'd feel that way.}**

The two stood in silence, looking around the surroundings of Issei's inner world. Seconds later, Ddraig smirked at Issei and pointed the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword in his direction.

**{You've got a lot on your plate, partner. Do you realize that?}**

Before Issei could answer, he looked up just in time to see the sky of his inner world changing once again.

"Hmm?"

**{It appears that someone is trying to wake you up, partner.}**

"Really? Hmm, I wonder what Ophis wants."

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of Issei's Subconscious<strong>

Slowly opening his eyes, Issei blinked several times before coming back to reality. The first thing he saw was Ophis clinging on to him. Raising an eyebrow, Issei turned his head to look around his surroundings, and widened his eyes in shock.

In front of him was a beautiful young woman with curly blonde hair, and another Ophis dressed in a Gothic Lolita outfit.

'...Wait, another Ophis?!'

Issei widened his eyes further at the other Ophis, who got up from her spot on the ground and walked over to him.

"Our, Issei." The Ophis clone stated in an almost robotic like tone.

'Our?!' Issei thought. 'Why is there another Ophis?!'

"Lilith, return within me. You shall play with our Issei later." Ophis ordered.

Gazing at Issei with no ounce of emotion within her eyes, Lilith nodded stoically as her body glowed. Converting herself into energy, Lilith retrieved into Ophis's life force, leaving a surprised Issei and Gabriel.

Blinking several times, Issei rubbed his head in confusion.

"Ophis? Who was that?"

"That, was Lilith. The snake who bit you from 11 years ago."

Issei widened his eyes.

"But I thought that snake disintegrated as soon as it bit me."

"No. It returned to me, as soon as I marked you."

Issei didn't know how to respond. Lilith appeared to be far more emotionless than Ophis had ever been. As a matter of fact, her eyes appeared to be lighter, yet lifeless, than Ophis' own.

'Her eyes are a lot emptier compared to Ophis.'

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Issei brought his attention to Gabriel, who was silent the whole time. Issei narrowed his eyes as he sensed Gabriel's energy.

'Her energy's different than the Devils and Fallen Angels. So she must be an Angel.'

After confirming the woman's race, Issei looked over to see an irritated Ophis.

Noticing Issei's movement, Gabriel's surprised expression morphed into a warm smile.

"Issei…"

Issei rose an eyebrow in confusion at the woman.

"How do you know my name?" He asked as he sat up straight in his seat.

Gabriel smiled wider and placed her hand on her chest.

"I've known a lot about you since you were just a young child, Issei."

"You have?"

"Haha. Yes I have. I came to you because I thought we could talk."

"About what?" Issei asked cautiously.

Ophis kept silent as she listened to the Angel's words. Inside she began to feel the tremors of possessiveness once again, but when she remembered Issei's words of reassurance from yesterday, she calmed down.

Gabriel smiled wider.

"I would like to invite you the realm of Heaven. I have a café there, and I would appreciate it if you would join me."

"…Are you asking me out on a date?"

"You seem surprised."

"Well, yeah. I don't think I've ever been asked out by an adult before. It's kind of strange."

Gabriel felt her cheeks flush red by Issei's innocent comment, but she smiled and composed herself, waving her hands in defense.

"D-don't think of it as a date!" Gabriel said in embarrassment as she chuckled nervously.

Issei rose an eyebrow in confusion, and he looked back to Ophis.

'Ophis? Are you…all right about this?' Issei thought as he spoke telepathically to Ophis.

Ophis maintained her emotionless stare towards Gabriel, and seconds later, she set her gaze towards Issei.

'I, am all right. I, am okay with you going with the Seraph.'

Issei widened his eyes in surprise at Ophis' answer. Sitting up from his seat, Issei nodded hesitantly to Gabriel, who smiled and placed her hands to her side.

Suddenly, Ophis' body glowed again, and an aura of black energy manifested, forming into Lilith. Looking up at her progenitor, Lilith tilted her head as she set her sight over to Issei, who looked taken aback by the emptiness within the second Ophis' eyes.

"Lilith," Ophis began as she pointed to her other. "You, shall follow our Issei and the Seraph. Do, you understand?"

"I, understand." Lilith replied as she held Issei's hand.

Chuckling nervously at the surprised Issei, Gabriel teleported herself and the other two to the realm of Heaven, leaving Ophis to sit in the living room.

As Ophis sat still, a thoughtful expression formed on her face. She had no idea on why she was thinking what was she pondering on right now, but the thought wouldn't leave her mind.

What was on her mind, was a subject that involved herself and Great Red. If pushed further, it could possibly involve her mate as well.

"I, shall converse with Baka-Red." Ophis stated as a black aura covered her body, allowing her to transport to another location.

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of Heaven<strong>

"Huh. So this is the café?"

"Hmm. Do you like it?"

Issei didn't know what to say. He had been to a number of cafés in the human world, but neither of them were as clean as the one he was currently in.

With his hand clutched within Lilith's grasp, Issei sat down in the booth with Gabriel. Sitting down, Gabriel sent Issei a smile.

"What do you think?"

"It's uh, a lot cleaner than the ones I've been to."

"Shiny…" Lilith said as she looked at her reflection from the table.

Giggling at the second Ophis' antics, Gabriel placed her hands on the table and locked eyes with Issei.

"Issei. The reason I've asked you to come here was because I wanted to thank you."

Issei rose an eyebrow.

"This is the first time I've met you. So why are you thanking me?" Issei asked.

"For preventing another Great War." Gabriel answered.

This answer piqued Issei's attention.

"Great War?"

Gabriel's expression became solemn as she gazed at Issei.

"Many years ago, the Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels were in constant tension. We, Angels were under the rule of the Biblical God, the Devils with the Four Great Satans, and the Fallen Angels were in the organization known as Grigori."

Issei listened intently to Gabriel's story. Lilith's eyes started to flutter as she was beginning to fall asleep from the story. Gabriel smiled as she saw Lilith lay her head on Issei's shoulder.

'It seems so empty compared to Ophis, but I think it loves Issei just the same.'

Moving her attention back to Issei, Gabriel explained the rest of her story.

"The Biblical God was the original creator and leader of the Angels. However…"

Gabriel paused as she tried to compose herself.

"He perished in the Great War between the Three Factions. The Four Great Satans perished as well, which caused the Great War to finally end."

Gabriel's eyes then narrowed as she gave Issei a stern expression.

"The Fallen Angel known as Kokabiel wanted to start another Great War, Issei. And in doing so, he sent three of his followers in order to steal the three of the seven Excaliburs."

Issei widened his eyes at the information.

'Excaliburs?'

"The current leader of the Angels, my brother Michael, sent two exorcists to retrieve the Excaliburs. After so many days, Kokabiel was supposed to show up to your school and engage in a battle with the Devils, and Michael's exorcists. But according to what I have heard, Kokabiel never showed up to the battle."

Issei remained silent as he felt this situation was somewhat similar to the conversation with Serafall Leviathan.

As he looked back to the sleeping Lilith, Issei was caught off guard when Gabriel suddenly leaned forward to give him a soft kiss on the cheek.

Leaning back, Gabriel flashed Issei a warm smile and folded her hands on the table. Issei widened his eyes and rubbed his cheek.

"What was that kiss for?"

Gabriel giggled as she covered her hand with her mouth.

"It's like I said, Issei. For preventing another Great War."

Issei blinked several times and got ready to answer, until he felt someone pulling on his clothes. He looked down and saw Lilith pulling on his clothes in order to get his attention.

"Lilith?"

Lilith tilted her head as she gazed at her progenitor's mate.

"I, am hungry."

"Fufufu."

Issei turned to look at an amused Gabriel.

"I'm feeling a little famished myself. What would you like, Lilith-chan?"

Lilith tilted her head again.

"I, want free-"

Issei widened his eyes and covered Lilith's mouth before she could say anymore.

"She'll have doughnuts and cookies." Issei amended for the second Ophis.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Day at Kuoh Academy<strong>

Vali Lucifer stood silently as he floated above the buildings of Kuoh Academy. Jutting out from his back was a pair of silver-blue Dragon wings.

According to Azazel, the school was where his destined rival attended his classes. He could already sense Issei's immense power, and in his own sense of honestly, Vali couldn't help but become interested in fighting him.

**(I sense the Welsh Dragon within this boy, Vali. It will be very interesting to meet my rival after all these years.)**

"Humph. From what I heard from Azazel, this guy sounds like a worthy opponent."

"Worthy opponent? That's a nice thing to say."

Widening his eyes, Vali turned around to see the wielder of the Red Dragon Emperor himself, standing on top of the school flagpole.

Instead of his usual Kuoh Academy uniform, Issei was dressed in a black jean jacket, a red t-shirt, black pants, and brown dress shoes. He had his hands in his jean pockets as he looked curiously at Vali.

"Issei Hyoudou."

"Vali Lucifer."

Vali narrowed his eyes as he sensed another presence. He turned to see Ophis herself standing on top of the flagpole next to Issei's own.

"…Ophis."

"Vali." Ophis said before she gave him a sly smirk.

**(Ddraig. It has been a long time.)**

**{Indeed it has. Albion.}**

Issei and Vali locked stares as they each sensed each other's power.

"It's a nice school, Hyoudou. How long you been here?"

"Not too long." Issei said as he shrugged.

"I assume you know who I am?"

"The Vanishing Dragon. Ddriag's mentioned you a couple of times."

"This is the second time we've seen each other, Hyoudou."

"…How's Kokabiel doing?"

"Azazel sealed him within the deepest part of the Underworld. We don't have to worry about him screwing things up."

Issei nodded as he tried to ignore the intensity of Ddraig's aura. Vali kept silent as he looked over to Ophis, who kept her emotionless stare.

"I didn't expect Issei Hyoudou to be in contact with you, Ophis."

Ophis gave Vali another sly smile.

"Issei belongs to me, Vali."

"Hmm." Vali hummed as he looked over to Issei.

"You seem to attract a lot of beings, Issei Hyoudou. What kind of person are you?"

Issei shrugged again as he balanced his position on the flagpole.

"To be honest, I don't really know, Vali. I guess my answer is...I am who I am. And there's nothing wrong with that. As the days go by, in reality, nothing's changed."

"You seem a lot calmer than the last time I saw you." Vali noted.

"Well in my defense, Vali," Issei began as he crossed his arms. "Kokabiel tried to attack me first for no valid reason. Normally, fighting opponents isn't one of my hobbies. That's why I'll only do that..."

He then locked Vali with a serious gaze.

"To make sure I protect everyone I care about."

Vali didn't show it, but he felt a chill go up his spine at Issei's words.

Placing his hands in his pockets, Issei closed his eyes.

"You said I seemed like a worthy opponent. By that statement, it seems like to me you're a battle maniac."

"What can I say? I like to fight strong opponents." Vali said as he smirked.

"Is that all you want to do in life, Vali? To fight strong opponents?"

"…If there is no one strong for me to fight, then I would gladly welcome death." Vali stated.

Issei opened his eyes and widened them at the Vanishing Dragon, while Ophis tilted her head. Issei then crossed his arms and relaxed his stance.

"That was quite astounding."

Vali rose an eyebrow.

"Hmm?"

"I've never met anyone with that kind of mindset." Issei stated as he transmitted away.

Vali narrowed his eyes as he watched Issei reappear on the school grounds, with Ophis next to him.

Looking up at the Vanishing Dragon, Issei nodded to Vali.

"In my opinion, one of the ways to get stronger, is for you to constantly evolve. Whether you choose to increase your power, or the alternative."

Intertwining his hands with Ophis' own, Issei gave Vali another nod.

"Enjoy each day for what it is, Vali."

And with that, Issei and the Ouroboros Dragon walked away from the Vanishing Dragon, before the former turned around to look back.

"If you want to find stronger opponents, I would be happy to help you out with that. Just call me." Issei said as he walked away with Ophis.

As he watched Issei walk away from Kuoh Academy, Vali narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

**(If I didn't know any better, it sounded like the host of Ddraig was-)**

"I know what he was saying, Albion." Vali stated as he interrupted Albion.

* * *

><p>Walking onto the bridge, Ophis tilted her head as she gazed at Issei.<p>

"Issei. Were you offering the Vanishing Dragon a challenge to fight Baka-Red?" Ophis asked as she walked with Issei.

"Actually, I wasn't. It was just something that popped up in my head. Whether he chose to think that I meant Brother Red, or myself, it doesn't really bother me. I really don't have any joy in fighting people."

* * *

><p><strong>The Phenex Mansion<strong>

"What is this room?"

"It's the Phenex Information Center."

Issei looked around in awe as he looked around the large room. Surrounding the room were a series of high-tech keyboards. Widening his eyes, Issei walked over and pressed a button, causing the keyboard to emit a holographic like screen.

"Hmm." Issei hummed as he peered at it and a curious manner.

Xuelan, who had showed Issei the information center, giggled softly at the young man's curiosity.

"You look like you've never seen holographic computers before."

"That's because I haven't." Issei answered.

"You haven't?"

Pressing another series of buttons, Issei looked up at the holographic screen to see an assortment of informational websites, a chat screen, and other sites.

"Hmm."

"Yeah," Xuelan began. "This room is basically exclusive to information brokers."

Issei rose an eyebrow as he looked to Xuelan.

"Information Brokers?"

Xuelan smiled and nodded in response.

"Yeah, but usually this room is vacant because none of the members in this house are information brokers. So no one actually uses this room."

"Is that a fact?" Issei asked in interest.

"…Are you interested in becoming one, Issei?"

"An information broker…" Issei began as he looked at the holographic screen.

He then smiled as he crossed his arms.

"An information broker does sound interesting. It'll give me something to do, besides school."

Xuelan smiled as she placed her hands behind her back.

"It's not going to be easy. You can't just learn something and become a master at it instantaneously."

Issei scoffed as he looked over to Xuelan.

"And when has that ever stopped me?"


	6. Class Observation Day

**The Phenex Mansion**

A crimson bloodstone was tossed into the air. Seconds later, it descended within an open hand. Issei kept quiet as he looked at the holographic screen within the information room of the mansion.

"I see. Everyone's busy."

Leaning back into his chair, Issei sighed. Lately, his weeks have been pretty much normal. School, going home and cuddling with Ophis, Lilith, or occasionally both, had been his daily routines. On Saturday, he would usually visit the Phenex mansion to talk with some of the girls, or focus on his practice in information breaking. Then on Sunday, he would talk with Great Red about the most random of things.

So far, no clients have contacted him. So all Issei would have to do is wait for an opportunity. Which lead to a boring day so far.

"Hmm," Issei began as he tossed the bloodstone up in the air. "There's so much going on in this world, that information is practically limitless."

_BEEP BEEP_

"Hmm?"

Issei looked up at the holographic screen and stood up to press it. Immediately after, an envelope appeared on the screen. Issei rose an eyebrow and pressed the envelope. As the envelope opened, Issei widened his eyes.

"A client?"

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Am I seeing double here?"

"Yes, you are."

Great Red blinked repeatedly as he saw the two Ophis' right in front of him. He could already tell the difference between the two, since the original had long ago taken on a more adult appearance.

Ophis set her eyes over to Lilith, who was staring emotionlessly at Great Red.

"Why on earth did you create a clone, Ophis?" Great Red asked.

"This, is the snake that marked Issei as my mate."

"So are you and Issei her… parents?"

"No. Lilith is merely a clone. A copy of myself. Issei belongs to her, just as much as he belongs to me."

"Lilith? Why on earth did you name her that?"

"The name Lilith is sometimes related to the 'belonging of the night'."

Great Red tilted his head as he grew thoughtful.

"Issei's powers represent that of the Sun. So is Lilith…"

"Yes," Ophis began as she placed her hand on Lilith's head."The opposite of the Sun. The Dark Moon Lilith. That, is what she is named after."

"…Hmm." Great Red hummed as he watched Lilith float up to him. "So I have another sister, huh?"

Lilith tilted her head as she gazed at the Great Red, who felt a little uneasy at her gaze. The second Ophis suddenly lifted her finger up and placed it on Great Red's horn. Great Red rose his head at Lilith's movement.

"What are you-"

"Pinch."

"OUCH! DAMN IT!" Great Red howled out in pain as Lilith pinched his horn.

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Mansion<strong>

"Issei Hyoudou. It's nice to finally meet you."

'Hmm. A Fallen Angel.'

"Nice to meet you too." Issei nodded.

"Come on in. Make yourself at home." The man said.

Complying with the man's suggestion, Issei walked inside the house, noticing the area was extremely dark. As he sat down, Issei looked around his surroundings as the man in front of him sat down.

"So, I assume that you know what I am."

"A Fallen Angel."

"That's right."

As he crossed his arms, Issei looked around as he detected more energy sources. He widened his eyes when he sensed a familiar presence.

"Azazel-sama?"

Raynare rubbed her eyes as she walked into the man's living room. As her sight cleared, the Fallen Angel widened her eyes in awe.

"Issei-kun?!"

"Y-Yuuma-san?! Why are you dressed like that?!"

"W-well I…"

Issei blinked several times as he saw that Raynare was in a black version of an S&M outfit.

"Hahaha. Well, this is certainly interesting." Azazel said in amusement.

Raynare's face flushed in embarrassment as she unconsciously covered her body. Normally she wouldn't care if anyone saw her like this, but Issei's reaction actually started to worry her.

Rolling his eyes in amusement, Azazel looked over to Raynare.

"Raynare, would you be a dear and bring our guest a drink?"

Before Raynare could move, Issei held his hand up.

"No thanks. I'm underage."

"Oh really? Well, that's a shame." Azazel said.

Blushing furiously, Raynare ran out of the living room, leaving Azazel and Issei.

"So," Azazel began. "How's life?"

"…Just dandy."

Chuckling, Azazel looked over on his couch and picked up a game system. Raising an eyebrow, Issei pointed to it.

"I thought the reason you called me over here was because-"

"Come now, Issei Hyoudou," Azazel interrupted as he placed the game next to him. "I didn't ask for you to come here because I wanted to talk about information."

Issei sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Then what did you call me for?"

"Simple. I wanted to thank you."

"…Really?" Issei asked dryly.

He'd been getting a lot of thank yous lately. First was from Serafall, then the Angel Gabriel, and now this Fallen Angel was thanking him.

"But of course. Thanks to you, another Great War was avoided."

Issei rose an eyebrow as he crossed his arms.

"I'm a little surprised that you're so calm about this. I mean I practically bisected one of the members of your species."

Azazel shrugged nonchalantly and crossed his arms.

"Kokabiel was one of the rogues who wished for another Great War to happen just so he could prove that the Fallen Angels are the superior race. I'm not really a fighting type of guy."

"You're not?"

"Yeah," Azazel said as he shrugged again. "But anyway, thanks for saving everyone."

"Your welcome, I guess. So is that all?"

"Not exactly." Azazel said as he picked up the game system.

Looking at it closely for a moment, Azazel then smirked and looked up at Issei.

"There's going to be a meeting between the Three Factions tomorrow, Issei Hyoudou. If all goes well, we'll be able to sign a peace-offering between the three races."

Issei rose an eyebrow.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want you to attend the meeting."

"I'm neither of those races. It's like I told Yuu- I mean Raynare. I'm not human, I'm not an Angel, a Fallen Angel, nor am I a Devil. There's no point in me going."

"Hmm. You have a point. There is no point in you going to the meeting. However, it would actually be beneficial for you."

"I'm not interested, Azazel."

"What about a challenge?"

"A challenge?"

"Yeah," Azazel began as he patted the game system next to him. "If I win, you have to go to the meeting between the Three Factions. If you win, you don't have to go, and you shall do whatever you want."

Issei looked away as he pondered his decision.

'Why is this guy so interested in me going to the meeting? Wait a minute…'

"Is it about Vali? Is the reason you want me to go because of the Vanishing Dragon?" Issei asked the Fallen Angel.

Azazel smirked as he shrugged.

"Play me, and you'll find out."

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Baka-Red, I am sure your horn is fine."

"Shut up, Ophis!"

"Pinch."

"Lilith, you stay the hell away from me!"

Ophis rolled her eyes as she watched Great Red recoil from Lilith, who was relentlessly trying to pinch his horn.

As she observed her clone, Ophis noticed that Lilith seemed to have a innocent child-like demeanor. Although Lilith possessed all of Ophis' memories, she did not possess her current intelligence. In other words, the clone's mind was actually not fully developed.

'All that exists within my clone's mind,' Ophis began in her thoughts. 'Is being with our Issei, and trying to defeat Great Red.'

"Pinch." Lilith repeated as she pinched Great Red on one of his scales.

"Damn it! Ophis, control yourself!"

"I, am doing nothing, Baka-Red."

"You know what I meant!"

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Mansion<strong>

"GO!"

Two racing cars shot off from across each other. The shining black car seemed to be gaining an advantage over the orange-yellow vehicle.

"You're not going to win this one!" Issei declared as he mashed the buttons on his controller.

"We'll see about that, Issei Hyoudou." Azazel stated as he smiled.

Issei scoffed as he narrowed his eyes.

'Tch! And I had such a good advantage too! He must have been playing this game for a long time!'

"You should hurry. I'm almost near the finish-"

Azazel cut himself off when Issei's player suddenly sped past him in a great burst of speed.

"What was that you were saying about going to the finish line?" Issei asked as he smiled.

"Humph," Azazel smirked. "I'll still have the victory."

"Oh? And how do you figure that?" Issei asked as his player was almost near the finish line.

"Because I have information that not even you know about, Issei."

Issei widened his eyes as he concentrated on the race.

'What's he talking about? A cheat code or something?'

"Enlighten me. What is this so-called information?"

Azazel chuckled as he prepared himself to mash the buttons on his controller.

"Ophis is genderless."

"WHAT?!"

Issei dropped his controller in shock, causing the player's car to crash into the cars in front of him. Azazel smirked wider as his player shot through the finish line in no time.

"WIN!"

Issei's jaw remained agape as he stared at the screen. Smiling widely, Azazel patted Issei on the back.

"Seems like it's my victory, Issei Hyoudou. I guess I'll see you at the meeting."

* * *

><p><strong>One Hour Later<strong>

Azazel smiled as he got ready for bed.

"Issei Hyoudou really underestimated me. But now he knows never to face me in racing games. Although I have to admit, I had fun racing with him. Shame he had to leave so early."

Shrugging, Azazel plopped himself on his bed, and went to reach under it, until he stopped. His eyes widening, Azazel dropped to the ground, and frantically searched under the bed.

"What?! Where is it?!"

The Fallen Angel's movement became more frantic as he looked around searchingly.

'Where's my stash?!'

Azazel then sat on the ground and tried to calm himself.

'All right, Azazel. Think. You're not the only perverted guy in this mansion. Someone had to have stolen them.'

As he thought harder, Azazel looked around his room, trying to find out who could have taken his precious stash. His eyes then widened as he thought of someone.

"DOHNASEEK!"

Immediately after the bellow, a man with black hair and dark blue eyes appeared. He was dressed in a fedora and a violet trench coat.

"Azazel-sama?"

The leader of the Fallen Angels pointed to the other accusingly.

"Did you take my stash?"

Dohnaseek rose an eyebrow.

"Stash? Oh you mean that po-"

Azazel quickly stood up and went to cover Dohnaseek's mouth.

"Yes that stash! Now, do you know where it could have gone? Was anyone else in my room?"

"…That Issei Hyoudou brat. He asked Raynare where your room was."

Azazel quickly ran out of his mansion, and looked outside to see a set of magazines torn. The pictures on the magazines showed a series of breasts. His eyes starting to form tears, Azazel collapsed to his knees.

"You maniac," Azazel began as he slammed his fist on the ground. "You tore them up! Darn you! Darn you, Issei Hyoudou to HELL!"

Standing at the door, Raynare stared at Azazel with a disturbed look on her face.

'What the hell?'

His hands trembling over the torn magazines, Azazel narrowed his eyes.

"Well played, Issei Hyoudou. Well played."

* * *

><p><strong>Kuoh Academy<strong>

Issei looked around in confusion as he saw many of the students conversing amongst themselves. As he walked through the hallways, he noticed some posters on the walls.

"Class Observation? So the families are going to visit here today. Hmm…so Mom and Dad are coming here. Hold on…"

As he looked away from the poster, Issei put his hand to his chin.

"Families are visiting? So Leiko's probably coming here today. And then…"

His eyes then widened in shock.

"Oh, dear lord."

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of Kuoh Academy<strong>

"What do you mean I can't park my motorcycle here?!"

"I'm sorry sir! I'm afraid the quality of that motorcycle is a little…inappropriate to the other students."

"Well then that's their damn fault!"

"Baka-Red, calm yourself."

"Ophis, butt out of this!"

"I shall, pinch Baka-Red's nose."

"Damn it, Lilith! Get the hell away from me!"

One of the attendants of Kuoh Academy looked on in surprise and horror at the people in front of her. Two young women that appeared almost identically to each other stared blankly at the male in their group. The older woman appeared to be a little annoyed towards the male.

The tall male had crimson-red hair and golden-yellow eyes. He was dressed in a red-biker jacket and blue jeans, with a cap on his hair. He gave the two identical young women an irritated glare and huffed.

Holding onto Lilith's hand, Ophis sent her gaze to the school's attendant.

"We, are here for Class Observation."

The attendant, ready to escape the wrath of these crazy people, nodded her head quickly.

"G-go ahead."

"Humph. About damn time!" Great Red huffed as he walked past the scared attendant.

Rolling her eyes, Ophis pulled Lilith with her and followed her 'brother' into Kuoh Academy. Inside the school, they saw Leiko Hyoudou herself walking around the hallways, trying to find her cousin.

Ophis tilted her head as she saw that Leiko's hair was in a long ponytail, and was now in a different color than her usual dark-silver shade.

'Issei's cousin. Her hair is completely black now. How did she alter it? Did she...dye it?' Ophis thought as she looked at Leiko.

As she looked around her surroundings, Leiko spotted Ophis, another Ophis, and a tall red-haired man.

"Ophis. Uh..." Leiko hesitated as she tried to decipher who the other people were.

Ophis nodded to her cousin-in-law.

"Leiko. This is Lilith, my clone. And this is Baka-Red…my brother."

Her crimson-eyes widening in disbelief, Leiko looked over to Great Red, who caught her stare and snarled.

"The hell you staring at?"

Leiko felt a chill go up her spine at the disguised Dragon's tone. Narrowing her eyes, Ophis flicked Great Red by the ear.

"Ouch! What the hell, Ophis?!"

"Silence, Baka-Red. This, is Issei's cousin."

Before he got ready to yell out, Great Red widened his eyes and looked over to Leiko, his expression changing. He then sent Leiko a mischievous smile.

"Cousin huh? Well then that means we're cousins-in-law!"

Leiko stood still in shock and palmed her face.

"...Oh, dear lord."

* * *

><p><strong>In the Gymnasium<strong>

As the event went on, family members of the students of Kuoh Academy mingled about. Walking around with his hand on his head, Issei sighed.

"I don't even have to sense their energy to know that they came here." Issei said, alluding to his 'wife', her clone, and 'brother-in-law'.

Issei hit his head twice to block out his thoughts.

At this point, he actually hoped that Ophis, Lilith, and Great Red wouldn't find Leiko yet.

"Issei Hyoudou?"

Looking up at the call of his name, Issei widened his eyes to see Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra looking at him with confused looks on their faces.

"…Sona-san. Tsubaki-san."

Walking over to Issei, the Sitri Devil offered Issei a small smile, while Tsubaki remained quiet.

"It's good to see you. I assume you've been well." Sona said.

Issei nodded in response.

"Well I-"

Issei cut himself off when he heard a familiar voice, and he turned around to see Genshirou Saji trying to prevent the citizens from taking pictures.

"Hey hey, disperse, disperse! Today's the day for displaying classes to the public! Don't make a ruckus at this kind of place!"

Then a familiar person had shown up next to Saji, who tried to block her. Issei widened his eyes when he recognized the girl.

"No. Is that…"

"You too, please don't wear that kind of costume. Wait, would you be a parent perhaps? Even if that's the case, you know there's a dress code according to the place. This is troublesome." Saji stated as he tried to block the girl.

"Leviathan-san?"

Serafall Leviathan, who was dressed in a cosplay outfit, looked up at the call of her name. As she set her eyes towards Issei, Sona, and Tsubaki, a wide smile stretched across her face.

"SONA-CHAN?! ISE-CHAN?! TSUBAKI-CHAN?!"

"…Oh, dear lord." The trio said simultaneously.

Serafall grinned as she glided over to the trio. Noticing her sister's red face, Serafall got into Sona's face and grinned wider.

"Sona-chan, what's wrong? Your face is completely red, you know? Since it's the long awaited reunion with your onee-sama, me, I think it would be better if you were a bit more happy? 'Onee-sama!' 'So-tan!', calling like that and embracing each other in a yuri way, that sort of development is fine with me as well, Onee-chan!"

"Onee-sama…" Sona begged.

Issei stared with his mouth agape at the Leviathan Maou.

'What the french toast?! What happened to her being all serious?!'

**{Ah, partner. So naive.}**

The way Serafall was acting now was far different than she acted when she first talked with Issei.

Blinking several times, Issei looked over to see Tsubaki, who was covering her face with her hand, shaking her head at the sight of the Leviathan.

"…O-Onee-sama," Sona began as her eyes twitched. "This is my school and I am entrusted with the job of the Student Council President here… No matter how close relatives we are, Onee-sama's behavior is, too much. I can't approve of that sort of outfit."

Realizing that losing whatever sanity he had by the hands of a cosplaying Leviathan wasn't worth it, Issei went off to another location.

"Ara, ara. It's so nice to meet you, Issei."

Issei looked over to see a black-haired girl with violet eyes. She had a orange-ribbon in her hair as well. Giggling at Issei, Akeno Himejima put her hand on her mouth.

Issei rose an eyebrow at the girl.

'Her energy. I sense the presence of Devil and Fallen Angel blood within her. So she's a mix of the two?'

Straightening himself, Issei nodded to Akeno.

"It's nice to meet you too. Uh-"

"Uffuffu. My name's Akeno. Is my little kouhai enjoying the Class Observation today?"

Raising an eyebrow at being called his class year, Issei shrugged lightly in response..

"So far."

"Ah, Issei Hyoudou."

Sighing, Issei turned around to see Sirzechs Lucifer, and two other red-haired Devils. The red-haired male with a beard turned to look at Sirzechs.

"Sirzechs. Is this the boy who inherited the Phenex Clan."

"Yes father." Sirzechs said as he nodded to Lord Gremory.

"He what?!" said Rias Gremory as she stared wide-eyed at Issei.

Issei rose an eyebrow at Rias, before his eyes widened as well.

'So this must be Rias Gremory! She looks like a female version of Sirzechs!'

Rias gazed wide-eyed at the young man in astonishment, before walking over to him.

'Finally! I'm able to talk to him!'

Placing her hand on her chest, Rias gave Issei a warm smile.

"Issei. My name's Rias Gremory. I can honestly say it's nice to finally meet you."

"It is?" Issei asked in curiosity.

He had only heard about this girl from Sona, that was all. Looking at Rias now, Issei assumed that she seemed to come from noble roots.

'Hmm.'

"HEY ISSEI! YOUR BIG BRO'S HERE!"

Issei and the Devils near him widened their eyes, and they all turned around to see the gym door shoot open. The jaws of the inhabitants in the gym dropped agape.

Standing at the doors was none other than Leiko, Ophis, Lilith, and the grinning Great Red in human form. Issei then realized that almost every single Devil in the gym was looking right at him.

Blissfully ignorant to the Devils' stares, Great Red ran over to hug the speechless Issei in a bear grip.

"How's my bro doing?!" He cheerfully stated as he knocked on Issei's head in a teasing manner.

The Devils in the gym shook in terror as they watched one of the most powerful beings…hugging Issei. It was then they realized what Great Red had just said.

'Wait…BROTHER?!' They thought.

Shaking her head, Leiko went to another section of the gym to get herself something to drink, leaving Ophis and Lilith. Narrowing her eyes, Ophis walked over to her 'brother' and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Let go of my mate, Baka-Red."

Great Red glared at Ophis, but he assented and let go of his brother-in-law, who dropped onto the floor.

Tilting her head, Lilith walked over to Issei, and patted him on the head.

"Pat, pat." She said childishly.

"Sure, she pinches my horn, and yet she pats Issei on the head." Great Red huffed.

The Apocalypse Dragon grunted as he noticed the stares of the other Devils.

"What the hell are all of you staring at?!" The True Red Dragon Emperor God shouted, causing the Devils to forcibly remove their wide-eyed stares.

Groaning in pain and embarrassment, Issei looked up as Lilith continued to pet his head in a childish manner.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Center Hallway of Kuoh Academy<strong>

Wanting to retain his sanity, Issei finally got up and pushed Great Red, Ophis, and Lilith out of the gymnasium doors. Leiko, who also wanted to escape the shocked stares of the Devils and humans in the gym, followed her cousins as well.

As he stood with his 'wife', wife's clone, 'brother-in-law', and cousin, Issei looked at the Dragons of the group.

"How did you guys find out it was Class Observation Day?"

Immediately after Issei's question, Ophis pointed to Leiko. Widening his eyes, Issei turned to look at Leiko, who chuckled nervously.

"Heh heh. My bad?"

Palming his face, Issei turned to look at the new addition of his family.

"All right," He began. "Let's just get on through the day."

* * *

><p><strong>End of Class Observation Day<strong>

To say the day was eventful would be an understatement. Class Observation Day was perhaps one of Issei's most 'interesting' days.

First, it had started with Lilith. In all of Issei's classes, Lilith wouldn't stop staring at him. It didn't bother Issei in the slightest. The class, however, was disturbed that a little girl dressed in a Gothic Lolita fashion was staring almost possessively at a teenager. When asked why Lilith kept staring at him so fixedly, Issei really didn't have a response. It didn't help that Lilith kept patting his head in her childish manner, and Ddraig was laughing his ass off in his mind.

Secondly, it was Ophis. The Ouroboros Dragon had matured in terms of personality and appearance. She had a more or less basic view on how to act in society. Although she still wasn't an expert on how to act in situations of social activity. When Ophis heard some of the females talking about her mate, her interest was immediately piqued.

Until it turned out that the girls were actually talking about whether or not Issei was going out with anyone. Ophis had mellowed out of her jealous phase a while ago, but she still made it clear that Issei was still hers. And so, when the chatter that involved her mate began to increase, Ophis released a large amount of killing intent, enough to silence the girls completely.

Thirdly and lastly, was the Great Red himself. He was the very embodiment of the old saying: Well, you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. Out of all the Dragons, he was the noisiest. Whenever Issei was asked a question and he happened to answer it correctly, Great Red would shout in pride, telling Issei that he 'kicked that question's ass'.

The other incident involved the other students of Kuoh Academy. Due to the Dragons appearing in the school for the very first time, they were getting a lot of stares. Which was an immediate annoyance for Great Red. As Issei quickly realized, Great Red absolutely hated being stared at. He had figured this out when Great Red would growl at the students every ten seconds.

Leiko. Since Leiko was actually normal, she didn't embarrass Issei at all. Now that Issei thought about it, Leiko and Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou were actually the only ones who had not embarrassed him at all. It was only the Dragons.

And now Issei was standing outside with his family. Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou had already gone on home, while Leiko stayed with Issei and the Dragons.

Right now, Great Red and Lilith were staring each other down. The Apocalypse Dragon glared darkly at the second Ophis, who strangely had a smug smile on her face.

"Lilith. Step away from my bike." Great Red warned.

After Class Observation was over, the Dragons walked out of Kuoh Academy, waiting for Issei to come out. Before Great Red could sit on his bike, he was quick to notice Lilith floating right above it.

Needless to say, the True Red Dragon Emperor God was not a happy Dragon.

"Lilith. Your butt better not hit that seat."

Immediately, Lilith dropped onto the seat of the bike, as though as she was doing this to spite the Great Red.

"LILITH!"

Issei sighed as he watched the interaction. He looked over to see Ophis with a smug smirk on her face as she looked at her clone torturing her brother.

"Ophis, aren't you gonna do something?" Issei implored her.

"No. This is amusing. I, should buy a camera sometime."

Sighing, Issei looked over at Leiko, who stared wide-eyed at the exchanges between the Dragons. Locking her crimson eyes with Issei, Leiko shook her head, not even bothering to say anything, as Issei knew what she was thinking.

"Issei."

At the call of his name, Issei turned around to see a hesitant Tsubaki walking towards the group. The reason she was so hesitant was because of the two strongest beings in her presence. She made caution to keep her eyes directly on Issei, so as not to anger the Great Red.

"Tsubaki-san." Issei greeted as he nodded.

"The meeting between the Three Factions is about to start. The others and I were wondering if you were going to attend soon."

At the mention of the meeting, Issei looked towards the Dragons.

'Should I bring them with me? I can't take Leiko with me, and I think bringing Lilith to the meeting would be overkill.'

Looking towards Leiko, Issei crossed his arms.

"Hey, Leiko. Can you take Lilith back to my house?"

Widening her eyes, Leiko set her sights over to the second Ophis, who tilted her head at Issei's cousin.

"Um, sure." Leiko said as she picked Lilith up and set her on the ground. Before Leiko walked Lilith on the bridge, the latter turned around to stare at Issei.

"So," Leiko began as she looked down at the small Dragon. "Are you hungry?"

Almost immediately, Lilith moved her attention to her cousin-in-law and nodded.

"I, want doughnuts."

* * *

><p><strong>Location of the Meeting between the Three Factions<strong>

In the room, sat the representatives of the Three Factions. Sirzechs Lucifer and Serafall Leviathan represented the Devils, Michael for the Angels, and Azazel for the Fallen Angels. Accompanying Azazel, was Vali Lucifer, who had his arms crossed in boredom.

Behind Sirzechs and Serafall, were Rias, Sona, and the rest of her peerage. Sona had sent Tsubaki to retrieve Issei so he could attend the meeting. She just hoped the Ouroboros Dragon and the Apocalypse Dragon wouldn't show up.

As if on cue, the door opened, revealing Tsubaki, who looked as though as she witnessed the most horrible thing in her life. Closing the door behind her, Tsubaki quickly walked back to Sona, who gave her a worried look.

"Tsubaki? Are you all right?"

Before Tsubaki could answer, a familiar voice made itself known.

"What do you mean this song doesn't kick ass?!"

The members of the supernatural felt their chests tighten at the sound of that gruff voice.

"Ok, you know what. Screw it. I don't have to listen to you! Just play the damn song! Ok. Three, two…"

_I must confess that I feel like a monster!_

_I, I feel like a monster!_

_I, I feel like a monster!_

The sound of music playing synced with the door slamming open, revealing the Great Red, Ophis and Issei. To say everyone was surprised was an understatement. Their jaws were agape with horror, and terror. Not even Sirzechs, Serafall, and Michael could resist the urge to shake.

But the one person who showed the most reaction was Vali Lucifer himself. The descendant of Lucifer couldn't believe what he was looking at. In front of him, was the True Red Dragon Emperor God. The pinnacle of almighty power. The Great Red himself. And to top it all off, his rival Issei Hyoudou, and the Ouroboros Dragon Ophis, was with him as well.

Vali actually found it hard to catch his breath, and he started to breathe heavily. He didn't know who to fight first. He wanted to see how strong Issei Hyoudou was. But on the other hand, he wanted to fight the Apocalypse Dragon. He was actually starting to have doubts about who he wanted to fight. Realizing he was gasping, he shut his mouth.

He was also starting to have doubts about the event that would spark a pause in the meeting. If Great Red and Ophis stayed…the result would be catastrophic.

Issei silently looked around the room as he spotted the familiar people. He was already familiar with Sona, Tsubaki, Sirzechs, Serafall, Vali, and Azazel. He had only recently met Rias and Akeno. As he looked around more, he spotted a person he hadn't seen in a while.

"Yuuto-san."

Yuuto Kiba, the Knight of Rias Gremory, nodded as he looked at Issei.

"Nice to see you again, Issei-san."

Issei nodded to the Devil, and turned his attention to Azazel, and smiled innocently.

"Yo, Azazel. Did you like those magazines I left outside for you?"

The Fallen Angel didn't say anything. If he did, he would only be playing into Issei's bait. Ready to start and finish the meeting as soon as possible, Sirzechs went to introduce Rias and her peerage.

Issei didn't particularly care about the meeting between the Three Factions. The reason he had come at all was because he has lost the challenge presented to him by Azazel. So the young man brought his attention elsewhere.

He was neither of these races he was standing in front of, so there was no point in him coming to the meeting.

Similar to Issei, both Ophis and Great Red were bored. As they were Dragons they didn't particularly care about the trivial conflicts or events about the Three Factions either. They had only come because Issei had to go. Sure they could always go back to the house and/or the Dimensional Gap, but still, it was better than sitting around.

* * *

><p><strong>10 Minutes Later<strong>

The building suddenly shook in tremors, causing the people in the meeting room to react. Issei rose an eyebrow as he walked over to the window to look outside.

"Hmm. It seems that we are under a terrorist attack." Azazel lightly noted as he walked towards Issei.

There were a large number of people dressed in black robes, firing at the school with magic bullets.

"They're magicians," Azazel began. "The aura they're emitting tells us that they have the strength of a mid-class Devil."

Looking at the number of mages, Issei rolled his eyes and jumped out of the window. Widening their eyes, the members of the supernatural looked out of the window to see Issei effortlessly pummeling the mages.

Raising an eyebrow, Azazel turned around to see Vali, who had his eyes narrowed. The Fallen Angel then turned to see that Ophis and Great Red had disappeared.

* * *

><p><strong>20 Minutes Later<strong>

"GET SOME!"

Great Red bellowed out as he crushed a mage's skull with his bare hands. As a Dragon, he enjoyed fighting just as much as the next of his species. Sure, he could always transform into his true form. But he felt that it wasn't necessary, since the mages were flies compared to a being such as him.

Ophis rolled her eyes as she lifted her finger up. A black beam of energy shot out of her finger, disintegrating a large crowd of mages. She didn't particular care about the sport of fighting. But she was bored, and she thought that she might as well participate in the event. After all, these idiotic mages were harming her mate's school.

Issei narrowed his eyes as he shot an energy blast through the mage's stomach. He had no idea where these idiots came from, and he didn't care. All that was important was keeping his school into a normal condition.

After making sure that every mage was defeated, Great Red looked over to Issei and Ophis, and grinned.

"Best ass-whooping we have ever done." The Apocalypse Dragon stated in pride.

"You got that right." Issei said as he high-fived his brother-in-law.

Ophis gave the two a blank expression, before looking behind her to see Great Red's motorcycle.

"Baka-Red. Now that the mages are eliminated, we should return to my Issei's house."

Before Great Red could respond, a crimson energy blast suddenly shot towards Ophis. Forgetting that Ophis could already handle herself, Issei flew towards the Ouroboros Dragon and grabbed her, causing the energy blast to miss and hit Great Red's motorcycle.

Issei and Ophis stared wide-eyed at the Great Red, who actually appeared to be calmer than expected. The Dragons and Issei suddenly looked up to see a figure in a shining white armor with adorned blue jewels.

Sensing the familiar energy, Issei narrowed his eyes and picked himself and Ophis up.

"Vali?"

Vali Lucifer smirked within the Scale Mail version of the Divine Dividing.

"I must admit, Hyoudou. I didn't expect for you to bring the two strongest existences to the meeting between the Three Factions. That actually makes me a little excited. I now get to fight the two of you."

"Two? What do you mean?" Issei asked.

Vali smirked wider and pointed to the Great Red.

"My dream is to fight the Great Red. Throughout my life, I have always sought to fight strong opponents. I had to settle with beings that were far weaker than the Dragons that stand before me. But now that you have brought the strongest Dragon here, perhaps my dream will finally come true."

Issei narrowed his eyes further.

'Vali is nowhere near Red's strength. Why does he want to fight him?'

"I also want to fight you, Hyoudou. You and the Great Red should be a good warm up."

Issei widened his eyes and looked towards the Great Red, who looked very calm. The Apocalypse Dragon then sucked his teeth in, and then stated in a relatively calm tone.

"That was a Harley Davidson motorcycle. And you broke it."

Vali felt a chill go up his spine, but at the same time, he felt extremely rushed. The thought of fighting Issei Hyoudou and the Great Red at the same time only made him more eager.

Issei narrowed his eyes as a golden aura manifested around him. With a grunt, he transformed into his Super Solar form. Manifesting from his hand was the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword, its blade shining.

The Great Red's calm facade faded almost quickly, and he released a huge amount of destructive power, causing the cracks of the ground to disintegrate into nothingness.

"Issei."

At the call of his name, Issei looked towards his brother-in-law, his great power radiating.

"Yeah?"

The Apocalypse Dragon then gave Issei a wide smirk.

"Let's give this Vanishing Dragon an ass-whooping he'll never forget."

Vali Lucifer was probably the happiest man alive today. Not only was he going to fight his eternal rival, but he was also going to fight the most powerful Dragon in existence. He was a lucky guy.

**(Vali. You have maintained your Balance Breaker state far longer than expected. You might not even have enough strength or reserves left to even fight the host of Ddraig.)**

'Then that makes it all the worthwhile!'

Super Solar Issei and Great Red narrowed their eyes as they looked up at the Vanishing Dragon. Issei couldn't understand why Vali wanted to fight him and Great Red. The young man knew that Vali's strength did not even reach the level of Great Red.

'Why is he so eager to fight us both?'

**{Humph. Albion always loved to battle. Perhaps the descendant of Lucifer wants to fight strong opponents in order to improve himself. Or perhaps he wants to prove something.}**

'Prove something? Like what?'

Smirking widely, Vali shot towards Issei in a burst of speed, before he vanished from the young man's sight. Issei didn't react at all, already sensing where Vali was going to strike next. Narrowing his eyes, Issei swung the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi back just in time to block an incoming punch from Vali.

Vali was knocked off from the blunt force, but he quickly recovered and flew upwards. His sword glowing with crimson energy, Issei swung the weapon towards Vali. A crimson beam of energy shot out from the sword, its power radiating brightly.

**(Vali. That blast is from Ddraig! Be mindful!)**

'So this is the power of the Red Dragon Emperor.'

The Vanishing Dragon lifted his hand up, and his armor began to glow.

_**(Divide!Divide!Divide!Divide!Divide!)**_

Issei widened his eyes when he saw that his attack began to shrink down in size. Confident about the size of his rival's attack, Vali allowed the blast to hit him. A bright flash suddenly emerged from the attack, and the Vanishing Dragon became concealed by a cloud of smoke.

The smoke cleared shortly, revealing a relatively unharmed Vali. However, as Issei and Great Red noticed, parts of the Vanishing Dragon's armor began to fall apart, including a bright blue jewel. The jewel fell downwards, falling into Ophis' hand.

The Ouroboros Dragon narrowed her eyes at the jewel of the Vanishing Dragon, before she placed it in her pocket for safekeeping.

Issei narrowed his eyes as he thought about what he just saw.

'He decreased the size of my attack!'

**{Albion has the ability to divide his opponent's attack. He can also absorb half of his opponent's power and add it to his own.}**

'Hmm. Vali's got a powerful Dragon then.'

**{Kuh?! Am I not good enough for you, host?!}**

'You know I didn't mean that!'

"All right then! My turn!"

Ending his conversation with Ddraig, Issei turned to see Great Red with a wide grin on his face. The disguised True Red Dragon Emperor God charged towards the Vanishing Dragon and landed a punch to his face. But Great Red didn't stop there. He landed numerous punches, kicks, slaps, and head-butts on Vali.

**(Vali, for the love of- DEFEND YOURSELF!)**

**{Kukukuku. In all the years I have known Albion, never before have I heard him scream so frighteningly.}**

Vali narrowed his eyes and attempted of defend himself. Once he saw a weak point on the Great Red, he went to place his hand on his opponent's shoulder. That is until the Great Red roughly grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

"HANDS OFF!"

Great Red then proceeded to twist Vali's arm, causing the Vanishing Dragon to almost scream out in pain. The True Red Dragon Emperor God then slammed a heavy fist into Vali's stomach, causing him to splutter out blood.

Groaning from the pain, Vali finally got an advantage and went to grab Great Red's fist.

_**(Di-!)**_

Before Vali could divide the Great Red's power, he was suddenly slapped harshly across the face. Great Red narrowed his golden eyes as he grabbed Vali's head. Maneuvering his weight, Great Red flew down towards the ground, and threw the Vanishing Dragon into the cracks.

The collision of Vali crashing into the ground caused an explosive cloud of smoke to emerge. Moments later, Vali shakily stood up, and wiped the blood from his face. Smiling widely, Vali looked over to Issei, and then up at Great Red.

"This is amazing! You two are strong! It's completely impossible for me to fight in the state that I am now. In that case, I'll unveil my other form!"

Issei widened his eyes at Vali's declaration, while Great Red just rose an eyebrow. Vali smirked wider as the jewels on his Vanishing Dragon armor began to flash a series of colors. Issei and Great Red narrowed their eyes as they sensed Vali's power grow.

"Watch closely, Issei Hyoudou. And you as well, Apocalypse Dragon. This is the power of the Vanishing Dragon!"

"I, who is about to awaken…"

Suddenly a series of voices filled with absolute hatred, began to echo throughout Kuoh Academy. The voices seemed to sync with the flashing lights of Vali's armor.

_Am the Heavenly Dragon who has taken the principles of supremacy from God_

_I envy the "infinite" and I pursue the "dream"_

_I shall become the White Dragon of Domination_

_And I shall take you to the limits of white paradise!"_

_**(JUGGERNAUT DRIVE!)**_

Vali's armor began to shine brightly, and his power increased to drastic levels. However, neither Issei, Ophis, nor Great Red showed any reaction at all.

Issei looked at Vali closely, noting the different appearance of his armor. The armor was far brighter than before, and claws had grown from the gauntlets. Strangely, there were numerous amounts of weapons growing out of the armor itself.

'So this is the Juggernaut Drive, huh?'

Seconds later, the light of the Vanishing Dragon's armor faded, revealing Vali soaring towards the Great Red with his fist raised. Narrowing his eyes, Vali raised his power and landed a sharp punch to the Apocalypse Dragon's stomach.

"…Is that all?" The Great Red boasted.

Vali widened his eyes, and was too late to reply, before Great Red landed another heavy punch to his gut, causing parts of the armor of the Vanishing Dragon to break apart once more.

Issei watched on as he watched his brother-in-law pummeling the Vanishing Dragon.

'Hmm. Great Red doesn't even need my help in this.'

"Yo, Issei! Catch!" Great Red cheered as he threw Vali towards Issei.

Raising an eyebrow and then narrowing his eyes, Issei waved the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi forward, allowing Vali to be enveloped by the crimson blast. The blast caused Vali to bounce right back to the Great Red. Great Red caught Vali, and threw him back to Issei, who retaliated by leaning his fist back, landing a punch to Vali, which caused the Vanishing Dragon to ricochet back to Great Red.

**(Damn it Vali! They're playing volleyball! With you as the ball! Regain your position!)**

Gritting his teeth, Vali regained his balance in just enough time to avoid a punch from Great Red. Smirking widely, Great Red lifted his hand, charging an energy blast which grew to a tremendous size. Vali narrowed his eyes and lifted his hand up as well.

_**(Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!)**_

The blast Great Red was charging seemed to be decreasing in size, but Great Red still opted to increase the attack's power. Before Vali could attempt to divide once more, he was suddenly shot down into the ground.

Issei narrowed his eyes as he straightened his position.

'While he was busy dividing Red's energy, he wasn't sensing my incoming attack.'

Grinning at Issei, Great Red shot his energy blast towards the ground where Vali laid, causing a mushroom cloud explosion to emerge. The smoke cleared, revealing Vali with his armor completely torn.

He clutched his chest as he tried to regenerate his Balance Breaker armor, which ended up shattering due to the large drainage of his reserves.

**(Vali. Your stamina and reserves have decreased tremendously. We cannot beat Issei Hyoudou or the Great Red in the state that we are in.)**

Vali narrowed his eyes as he looked at the two people he was fighting. He was disappointed in himself. He was so eager to fight the Great Red, that he hadn't considered the large gap in power. He had been far too reckless. And to add insult to injury, Vali knew the Great Red wasn't showing all of his power.

Suddenly, the ground below Vali began to gain a black aura as it tore open. Narrowing his eyes further, Vali glared at Issei and the Great Red.

"This is not over, my rivals. It's not like me to run away from a battle. But it seems like the only option."

Issei and Great Red kept silent as they watched the Vanishing Dragon vanish into the black space.

"I lost this one, Welsh Dragon and Apocalypse Dragon. I will become stronger. So be prepared the next time we all meet." Vali declared as he fully disappeared.

The silence that surrounded Kuoh Academy was extremely tense. Issei actually didn't know how to feel about the battle. Vali seemed to be focused on fighting with Great Red. So why did Vali keep stating that he wanted to fight him as well?

"My Issei."

Issei looked to see Ophis walking towards him. In her hand laid the jewel of the Vanishing Dragon. He widened his eyes as he placed his hand on Ophis' own.

"This is the jewel that fell from Vali's armor. It's still intact even though his armor regenerated?"

"Yes. it appears so," Ophis began as she observed the jewel. "I sense Albion's remaining power in it as well. I shall, keep an eye on this."

Raising an eyebrow at Ophis' declaration, Issei set his sight over to Great Red, who now had a bored look on his face as he looked at the broken motorcycle.

"Red, I have to ask," Issei began as he walked over to his brother-in-law. "Where did you even get that motorcycle?"

Great Red looked to Issei as he crossed his arms.

"I created it using the power of illusions."

'Illusions? Oh, right. Ophis said Great Red was the embodiment of dream and illusions. So he can pretty much do anything he wanted.'

The young man's eyes then widened as he thought of something.

"Wait, if you created that motorcycle out of your own power, couldn't you have just reanimated it the moment after Vali destroyed it?"

Great Red widened his eyes as he thought about Issei's words.

'God damn it! He's right!'

Wanting to hide his embarrassment, Great Red scoffed and grunted.

"The bastard deserved it. Besides, I needed to vent out some anger."

"Baka-Red," Ophis chided as she crossed her arms. "Think before you act."

"Why don't you mind your own business, Ophis?!"

Issei sighed as he rubbed his head.

'They just can't go one day without arguing, can they?'

**{Kukukuku. It was you who pointed out that the Ouroboros and the Apocalypse are so similar that they could be considered siblings. Who's the dumb-ass now?}**

'…You're so cruel, Ddraig.'

* * *

><p><strong>Near Issei's House<strong>

Issei sighed as he walked to his house door. Today had pretty much been an eventful day. First it was Class Observation Day, then the battle with Vali Lucifer. There was also the matter of Ophis possessing the jewel of the Vanishing Dragon.

Ophis and the Great Red had traveled back to the Dimensional Gap to talk about the jewel, so they told Issei to go on ahead to home.

"Hopefully," Issei tiredly began as he shook his head. "There isn't going to be any more surprises tonight."

Placing his hand on the house door, Issei opened the door, walked inside and closed the door behind him. Turning around, Issei widened his eyes at the unexpected sight.

Sitting on his couch, was Sona Sitri, Tsubaki Shinra, Rias Gremory, and Akeno Himejima. Standing at the left side of the couch, was Gabriel and Serafall Leviathan. Standing on the right side of the couch, was Xuelan, and one of Riser's former knights. Issei believed the girl's name was Siris.

Only one question came to Issei's mind, and he was all too eager to shout it out to the women.

"What the hell are all of you doing in my house?!"


	7. The Evil Norse God

**The Dimensional Gap**

For the first time, it was extremely silent in the Dimensional Gap. The reason for the unexpected silence was the interest of the Divine Dividing jewel. Ophis and the Great Red; the latter back in his true form, quietly looked at the jewel in the former's hand.

Narrowing his eyes, Great Red took his attention off of the jewel, and set his sight to Ophis.

"You've been staring at the jewel of Albion for a long time. What's up with you, Ophis?"

The Ouroboros Dragon tilted her head as she gazed at the jewel.

"Something has piqued my interest, Baka-Red. The Vanishing Dragon. He is sealed within the Sacred Gear wielded by Vali Lucifer, is he not?"

"Last time I checked, Albion was."

"That, is correct. And Ddraig is sealed within the sword wielded by Issei."

"That's true. What's your point, Ophis?"

The Infinite Dragon God then turned her attention to her 'brother'.

"It is impossible for the power of the Vanishing Dragon to sync with the Welsh Dragon because Ddraig is not sealed within a Sacred Gear. However…"

"What?" Great Red pressed his 'sister' into speaking.

"Perhaps, _my Isse_i will be able to absorb the power of Albion."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

In any other circumstance, a young man would be happy to see a group of girls in his house. Especially if the girls happened to be exceedingly beautiful. Hell, a young man would probably be ecstatic to see some beautiful older women in his house as well.

Issei Hyoudou was not one of those young men.

Shaking his head to calm his thoughts, Issei decided to go through with his plan. Ask the women why the hell they were in his house in the first place.

In that order.

Looking over to Xuelan and Siris, Issei pointed to them first.

"Why are you two here?"

Her eyes widening a little at Issei's previous outburst, Xuelan put her hands behind her back.

"U-um, you have two new clients. They're at the Phenex Mansion in the information room as we speak."

Issei widened his eyes at the news, before he nodded seriously.

'All right. Well at least that's a reason.' Issei thought as he looked over to Sona and Tsubaki.

"Sona-san. Tsubaki-san. Why are you here?"

"We wanted to talk to you…" Sona hesitated as she crossed her arms. "To talk to you about Ophis and the Great Red."

Issei rose an eyebrow at the request, before he looked over to Rias and Akeno.

"Why are you two here?"

"Same reason." Rias stated blankly.

Sighing, Issei then set his sights over to Serafall and Gabriel. The young man's eyes twitched when he noticed that Serafall was still dressed in her cosplay uniform.

"Gabriel-san. Leviathan-san. Why are you two here?"

Serafall was the first to respond as she smiled.

"I just wanted to see how Ise-chan was. We all saw your fight with the descendant of Lucifer. Rias-chan and the rest of the girls were worried about you too."

"…Worried?" Issei questioned as he looked over at Rias, Akeno, Tsubaki, and Sona with red shades on their faces.

He noticed that Sona's face had gained a red shade as she glared at Serafall.

"Onee-sama…"

Blinking several times, Issei then turned his attention to Gabriel, who smiled back.

"My brother, the leader of the Angels would like to speak with you."

"Your brother?"

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Absorb the power of Albion?"

"Yes."

"Is that possible?"

Ophis tilted her head as she looked up at the Great Red. She flew up to the height of her brother's horn, and positioned Albion's jewel so he could look at it closely.

"Do you remember the first time we both sensed my Issei's power? When his power was no longer pure, but much darker?"

"Yeah, I remember. You went off into a tangent."

Narrowing her eyes at the memory, Ophis continued her explanation.

"I have discovered through conversing with Ddraig, that the power my mate emitted was akin to that of a Phoenix with the flames of hell-fire.

"Hell-Fire?"

"Yes. Ddraig informed me that my Issei had absorbed the flames of a Devil of the Phenex Clan. When he absorbed those flames, the solar energy structure within his body merged with the blazes of the legendary Phoenix."

"So Issei is a Phoenix now?" Great Red asked, trying to grasp what Ophis was explaining to him.

"Not completely. The Hell-Fire transformation bestows him the attributes of the Phoenix. He is only a half-Phoenix."

"All right, I think I get that. So what the hell does this have to do with Albion's jewel?"

Ophis held up the jewel to her eye level, her dark-gray eyes narrowing in concentrating.

"If my Issei was able to absorb the power of a Phoenix, then perhaps he can absorb the power of the Vanishing Dragon."

"Hold on a minute," Great Red began as he rose himself up. "So would that make Issei transform again? If you're saying that Albion's power cannot blend with Ddraig's own, but it can possibly combine with Issei…are you also saying that Issei would be able to obtain another transformation?"

"That, is my theory." Ophis said as she pocketed the Vanishing Dragon's jewel.

Looking up at the Great Red, Ophis tilted her head as she spotted Lilith sitting on top of Great Red's scales. She noticed that her clone was holding a bag in her hands.

"Lilith," Ophis began as she flew up to her clone. "When did you come back?"

Lilith tilted her head as she looked at her original.

"Cousin Leiko, bought me doughnuts and cookies. I, am now back."

"Tch," Great Red muttered as he tried to will himself not to shake Lilith off of him. "You better not get any crumbs on me, Lilith."

"No, promises." Lilith countered as she took a cookie out of the bag.

Ophis smiled as she watched her clone pick on Great Red. Although she would never say it out loud, Ophis had to admit that she had grown tolerant of the Great Red from the time they had spent together. She, Issei, and Great Red actually were a pretty good group.

'My, Issei was right. He, Baka-Red, and I, are a Trinity.'

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Issei sighed as he looked at the women in his house. He was trying to decide what task he was going to do first. The Devils at Kuoh Academy could always talk to him about Ophis or Great Red at school, so he wasn't too worried about that.

The clients that Xuelan and Siris mentioned were something to consider as well. Issei had to admit, he really wasn't good or interested in becoming an informant broker. Azazel made true to that. Although he was technically a client, he hadn't contacted Issei for information. So that was something Issei had to think about.

Then there was the subject of Gabriel's brother meeting with him.

'The leader of the Angels, huh? So that would make him an Archangel. Why does he want to talk to me, though?'

Issei then widened his eyes as he realized he had forgotten something important. Something he needed to ask these girls, so the next time, this would never occur.

"Before I do any of those things, I need to ask something."

The women in his house remained quiet as they awaited Issei's words.

"…Are you stalking me?"

"WHAT?!" The women shouted suddenly.

"What on earth made you come to that conclusion?" Tsubaki asked with a slight hue on her cheeks.

Issei rose an eyebrow as he lifted a finger up.

"Well first of all, I never told any of you where I lived. The only women who know where I live, are Xuelan-san, Gabriel-san, and Ophis. So how did you know where I live?"

"It's not that hard to pinpoint your energy, Ise-chan." Serafall exclaimed with a smile on her face.

"Guh!" Issei stuttered as he tried to calm himself. "Even so, that doesn't mean you have to follow me around!"

Rias rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"What about Ophis? Out of all of us, she's the stalker!"

"How dare you accuse me of stalking my mate!"

The women and Issei all felt their chests tighten as they turned to see Ophis with an uncharacteristically furious look on her face.

"Ophis! Wh-"

"Be silent, my mate." Ophis stated darkly, as she walked forward to the girls sitting on her mate's couch.

"Why, are you in my Issei's house?"

The Devils, and Angel wisely (or unwisely) kept their mouths shut, as to prevent themselves from provoking the jealousy and wrath of the Ouroboros Dragon. Ophis narrowed her eyes as she looked at the women in the house. She already recognized Xuelan, and the other member of Riser's former peerage. She recognized Gabriel.

Ophis' eyes narrowed further when she set her sights to Rias, who appeared as though she wanted to leave the room.

"How, is your ladder-climbing?"

Rias gulped down a nervous lump in her throat at the memory of Ophis disintegrating her ladder when she had tried to climb up to Issei's room.

"You _dare_ to call me a stalker?"

Rias was too frightened to speak, until Gabriel, bless her soul, spoke up. She covered her mouth as she giggled.

"Well, to be fair Ophis," Gabriel began as she remained to oblivious to Ophis' darkening stare. "Technically, you marked Issei as your mate without asking for his permission. And not only that, but it seems like you've been stalking Issei ever since he was a child."

Ophis widened her eyes, and turned to glare darkly at the Angel.

"I! AM! NOT! A! STALKER!" Ophis shouted as she emphasized her words by stomping towards Gabriel.

"Fufufu." Gabriel said as she waved her hands in defense. "I'm sorry, Ophis. But Lilith says differently."

"…What, did you just say?"

* * *

><p><strong>The Dimensional Gap<strong>

Great Red had a moody look on his face as he listened to Lilith crunching noisily on her cookie. His eyes twitched as he felt crumbs of Lilith's treat falling down on him. He resisted the urge to shake off the crumbs, so as to not get dizzy.

Lilith opened her mouth so she could take another bite of her cookie. Suddenly, she felt her eyes squint as her nose twitched.

"Uuahh~"

"…Lilith?" Great Red asked.

"Uuahh~"

"Are you-"

"ACHOOO!" Lilith let out a cute sneeze as she and Great Red suddenly blew away from the strong force.

"AHHHHHH!"

Great Red screamed as he and Lilith toppled around the Dimensional Gap. Usually, the Apocalypse Dragon would enjoy a couple of maneuvering tricks. But the fact that Lilith's sneeze caused him and her to soar backwards, only invoked a sense of humiliation for the Great Red.

'Could this situation get any worse?'

"...Pinch."

"GODDAMN IT LILITH!"

* * *

><p><strong>The Phenex Mansion<strong>

Issei placed his hands in his pockets as he followed Xuelan and Siris into the Phenex mansion. No matter how many times he walked into the mansion, he always felt that it seemed to get more spacious.

Looking around, Issei widened his eyes as he noticed the sword on Siris' back. It had a black blade with silver edges, and a black hilt with a red handle.

"Hmm. That's a large sword, Siris-san."

Siris widened her eyes as she heard Issei talk to her for the first time. She touched the sheath that carried her sword.

"Y-yes." She stuttered.

Issei crossed his arms as he remembered something.

'If I remember correctly, she was Riser's second Knight. That being said, I can assume that she's really good with a sword.'

Siris felt her cheeks heat up, and covered it up by looking to the front of her direction. Unable to say anything, Siris quickly nodded to the young man.

Xuelan pouted a bit, but she concealed her pout with a smile as she looked to Issei.

"Issei. I guess I should tell you that the clients in the information are different races. One of them is a Fallen Angel, and one of them is a God. I think I remember him saying he was a Norse God."

Issei widened his eyes at Xuelan's explanation. He also noted Xuelan's annoyed tone at the way she mentioned the Norse God.

"You sound almost mad or something, Xuelan. Is the Norse God…"

Xuelan felt her cheeks redden in anger and embarrassment, but refused to say anything.

* * *

><p><strong>Information Center<strong>

Thanking Xuelan and Siris, Issei walked into the information room. Closing the door behind him, he looked to see a familiar Fallen Angel and an elderly man with long, grey hair with a matching beard. The elderly man also had an eye patch over his left eye.

Next to the old man, was a beautiful young woman with long silver hair and light blue eyes.

"Issei Hyoudou. Nice to see you again." Azazel greeted as he crossed his arms.

"So, Azazel. This is the brat who prevented another war of the Three Factions, huh? Meh, I guess looks are deceiving." The old man said as he crossed his arms.

He then smirked as he looked over to the girl.

"Oi, Rossweisse. This brat looks like he could be a candidate for you."

The girl, her name revealed as Rossweisse, gasped as she glared at the old man. She clenched her fists, narrowing her eyes darkly.

"Odin-samaaaaa!" She whined as she pouted.

Issei widened his eyes at the people in his information room.

'What the hell is going on?'

Ignoring Rossweisse's constant whining, Odin kept his gaze focused on Issei. According to Azazel, the young man was very powerful. But of course, Odin wouldn't have ever doubted that. After all, the boy was the son of the major Goddess of the Sun and the Universe.

Odin was the chief God of the Norse mythology, so it was no big revelation that he was familiar with most of the Gods and Goddesses of the other religions. Amaterasu was one of those Goddesses Odin was familiar with. Not in a romantic type of way, but Odin did know the Goddess of the Sun.

The boy in front of him wielded a great godly energy within him, and that was perhaps why only Odin was able to deduce the boy's origin. His entire energy structure emitted Solar Energy from the actual Sun. Odin knew that Issei was not a human, a Fallen Angel, or an Angel. And he certainly was no Devil. If anything had to do with the primordial Sun, it all connected to Amaterasu.

As the Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu was genuinely a kind individual. In fact, she was possibly the sole reason that the Sun exists even to this day. She was the one that gave warmth to the entire world, giving it life as well. Her motherly nature often manifested when the Sun rose up in the sky. However, despite this side of her personality, Amaterasu was known to hold a grudge. If someone had wronged or betrayed her by breaking her trust, it would be hard to regain her trust. That was the case for her brother, Susanoo.

The God of the storm and seas was known for his impulsiveness and ferocious temper. The day when he went on a rampage and completely destroyed Amaterasu's rice fields, ditches, palaces, and shrines only angered his sister. When Amaterasu pleaded with him to stop, the God of the storms and seas threw a skinned animal at her handmaidens while they were working.

This caused Amaterasu to become enraged, as a result, she hid herself in the Heavenly Cave. It was a terrible day for the world. Without the light of Amaterasu, the world was plunged into darkness and began to deteriorate.

'Humph.' Odin thought as he looked around the information room of the Phenex mansion.

Amaterasu had eventually come out of the Heavenly Cave, all because she had never seen herself before when she looked at the mirror. When the boulder of the Heavenly Cave was sealed, Amaterasu resolved to return to the Celestial Plain and give light to the world once again.

Odin scoffed as he crossed his arms.

In all honestly, it still puzzled Odin to no end on why Amaterasu had conceived the young man in front of him in the first place.

Was it on a whim? Was it because she was bored and felt like it? Or was it a way for the world and the Universe to retain life, even if she was not around to supply it herself?

Odin only knew one of the reasons Amaterasu had sent her son away. One of the reasons was due to Susanoo's antics. Amaterasu didn't trust her brother at all anymore. Even when Susanoo had brought the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi to his sister as a form of a gift, Amaterasu still didn't give her brother her trust back. She was worried that if Susanoo's antics were to start again, then her son might have been the target.

Susanoo was one of the most temperamental Shinto Gods, and that was exactly one of the reasons why Amaterasu shielded her son from him, and sent him to Earth. Others might call her abandoning her son as a form of weakness and cowardliness.

But Odin knew that the Goddess of the Sun regretted her decision deeply. To the point that she was afraid her son wouldn't want to see her at all. She knew she deserved it if her son didn't want to see her.

Despite not being in her son's early life, Amaterasu made it a point to emphasize herself as the manifestation of the Sun. She knew where her son was at every moment of every day, just by sensing his energy. There were times when she would manipulate the Sun's energy to allow it to rise up earlier then usual, just so she could feel the energy of her son. Odin knew that Amaterasu hated it when the Moon began to rise as soon as the Sun descended, signifying that her brother Tsukiyomi-no-mikoto had manifested to take his place as the God of the Moon.

Odin sent his gaze back to Issei Hyoudou, who appeared to be greatly confused on why Rossweisse was slamming her hands on the ground, crying out that it wasn't her fault that she couldn't get a boyfriend.

Azazel chuckled as he rubbed his head. Once again choosing to ignore his bodyguard's cries, Odin immersed himself in his thoughts.

That was the reason why Odin was in Japan right now. The Three-Legged Crow, also known as Yatagarasu, had been sent from Amaterasu to deliver a message to Odin. Initially Odin traveled for the intention of going to a Oppai Club with Azazel. In his opinion, he didn't actually mind doing a deed for the Goddess of the Universe. Especially when it involved her son.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Odin set his sights to Rossweisse, who seemed to be recovering.

"Geez, Rossweisse. Are you done already? Just because you don't have a boyfriend, doesn't mean you need to shout it out to the world."

Issei widened his eyes as he saw Rossweisse's eyes starting to wetten with tears. The young man didn't really know what to do in this situation. Before he could do anything to help Rossweisse, the girl suddenly fell on her knees and started smacking the floor.

"T-T-That has nothing to do with this! I didn't choose to not to have a boyfriennnnd! I didn't choose to still be a virginnnnn!"

Odin chuckled as he crossed his arms, and looked back to Issei, who looked like he wanted to get these people out of the Phenex Mansion as soon as possible. And judging by the look on Issei's face, Odin wouldn't put it past him.

"So, Issei Hyoudou. I would like to ask something of you."

"Huh? You would?"

'What would a Norse God want with me?'

"Yep," Odin answered as he nodded. "I'm visiting Japan for a while, and I've been thinking. I need another bodyguard other than the 17-year old virgin on the floor…"

"HEY!" Rossweisse shouted in indignation.

Chuckling in amusement, Odin then brought his attention back to Issei.

"How would you like to be my bodyguard?"

"Where exactly are you going?"

Odin suddenly sent Azazel a wide smirk, and the Fallen Angel returned the same facial gesture.

"We're going…to an OPPAI CLUB!" The two shouted in glee.

**{…Didn't see that coming, did you partner?}**

'No. No, I did not.'

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of the Phenex Mansion<strong>

"So you're acting as Odin-sama's bodyguard?"

"Yeah."

Xuelan tilted her head as she sat next to Issei. The two sat on the rooftop of the Phenex mansion, enjoying the breeze of the wind.

"So," Xuelan began as she crossed her arms. "Why did you agree?"

Issei, sitting with his arms behind his head, shrugged as he looked up at the Chinese Devil.

"Technically, both Odin and Azazel were clients. I wouldn't be a fair person if I didn't heed to their request. Besides, there was no school today, so I've got a lot of time."

Xuelan blinked several times as she listened to Issei's words. The Chinese Devil rose an eyebrow in response at the young man's words, but she didn't word out her opinion.

Issei inwardly sighed as he looked over to Xuelan.

"How has life been here at the Phenex mansion?"

Xuelan widened her eyes at the unexpected question.

"Why do you ask?"

Issei shrugged with a bored look.

"No particular reason. I'm just asking." Issei began as he brought his attention to Xuelan. "Sirzechs and Phenex stated that I...technically own you guys. But I don't like to think of it like that."

Xuelan widened her eyes further at Issei's statement. With a light flush of her cheeks, Xuelan unfolded her arms.

"It's just as Sirzechs-sama and Lord Phenex-sama said." Xuelan began as she lowered her gaze away from Issei. "According to the inheritance you earned, you're our master."

Moving her eyes back to Issei, Xuelan gasped when she saw that the young man was giving her a stern look. The Chinese Rook fell silent, wondering why Issei was giving her such a look.

"I am no-one's master, Xuelan-san. And you and the rest of the girls aren't my servants. I don't think of you girls like that at all." Issei declared as he got up from his spot.

He noticed the Chinese Rook gazing up at him with an unreadable look on her face. Seconds later, Issei brought his hand down, offering to lift Xuelan up. Xuelan widened her eyes at the offer, but eventually she accepted it and let Issei pull her up.

After pulling the Rook up, Issei put his hands in his pockets, looking up at the sky of the Underworld. He rose an eyebrow at the scenery.

'Hmm. I didn't know that the Underworld had clouds.'

Issei peered at the clouds when he saw that one of the clouds had the shape of the legendary Phoenix. He crossed his arms as he pondered. The cloud with the shape of the Phoenix reminded him of his Hell-Fire transformation. The young man sighed as he thought it over.

Xuelan heard Issei sigh, and she rose an eyebrow. As the breeze blew onto the roof the Phenex mansion, Xuelan shivered. Issei noticed this and rose an eyebrow at the Chinese Devil.

"You all right?"

"Yeah," Xuelan answered as she gave Issei a smile. "It's the breeze. It's getting a little chilly out here."

"Really?" Issei asked as he looked down to see Xuelan's qipao billowing slightly to the side as a result from the breeze.

The young man held a calm look on his face as he looked away.

...

His multi-colored eyes widening, Issei then turned to look at Xuelan.

"Don't take this question the wrong way," Issei began as he tried to carefully state his question. "But do you wear anything else under that outfit of yours?"

Blinking several times, Xuelan slowly shook her head.

"No, I don't."

After remaining silent for a few moments, Issei opened his mouth, and then closed it almost immediately.

'Dear god. She's absolutely naked under that outfit. It's no wonder she's that cold.'

Still remaining quiet, Issei placed a hand on Xuelan's shoulder. The black-haired girl widened her blue-green eyes slightly, ready to ask what Issei was doing. Seconds later, her body began to feel warm. Widening her eyes further, Xuelan looked over to see Issei in his Super Solar form, transferring the heat from his aura to her.

The Chinese Devil blushed heavily as her body began to experience a pleasurable variation of warmth. Issei placed his free hand in his pocket as he looked up at the Phoenix-shaped cloud.

'Hmm.' Issei hummed as he thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Issei sighed and rubbed his head as he sat on the couch. Sitting on his lap, was Ophis (who was still in her adult form). In front of the two, and sitting on the living room floor, was Lilith.

Lifting her head from up from Issei's shoulder. The Ouroboros Dragon tilted her head as she thought of something that had just popped into her mind.

Getting up from Issei's lap, Ophis scooted away from him on the couch. Widening his eyes at the movement, Issei blinked a few times, momentarily forgetting that Ophis was briefly sitting on him. He was so deep in thought, that he had also forgotten what he was doing at the moment.

He looked over to Ophis, who stared at him back. Issei noticed that her expression was now back to its blank state. Usually when he and Ophis were alone, the latter's expression showed an air of warmth and affection. But this time the look on Ophis' face seemed to be emotionless once again.

"…Ophis?" Issei asked hesitantly.

Instead of replying to her mate, Ophis lifted her hand up, and patted her lap twice. Issei rose an eyebrow at the gesture made by Ophis, and he rubbed his head in confusion. Ophis continued to stare at Issei, waiting for him to understand her gesture.

'Perhaps, I am still far too small for him.' The Ouroboros Dragon thought as her body began to glow.

Issei widened his eyes at the sight, and when the light faded, he widened his eyes further. This time, a much older Ophis appeared. This time as though she were in her early-thirties. Issei noticed that the Ouroboros Dragon's body shape was now similar to Gabriel's. If not, even a bit more developed and taller.

"O-Ophis?" Issei stuttered in great confusion.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

The Red Dragon Emperor struggled to contain his laughter as he looked at the expression on his host's face. Apparently, the Ouroboros Dragon wanted Issei to sit on her lap. Issei, being Issei, couldn't really predict the thoughts of an Infinite Dragon God.

Unable to stop himself from laughing his ass off, Ddraig attempted to open the mind link to explain to his host about the situation he had been placed in.

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of Issei's Inner WorldIssei's House**

Lilith tilted her head as she watched her original staring at a confused Issei. The cloned Dragon could sense her original's thoughts, and she suddenly became interested as well. Her body started to glow as well, causing Issei to look towards her with a look of shocked confusion.

"Lilith?!"

The light faded, revealing Lilith, who now appeared to be in her late-teens. Issei noticed that she was still dressed in her Gothic Lolita uniform. Lilith then walked over to Issei, and seconds later, Issei found himself trapped within the grasp of both Ophis and Lilith.

'…What the hell is going on?'

**{Kukukuku. Do you really want to know, partner?}**

* * *

><p><strong>At the Time of Night<strong>

Sighing tiredly, Issei found himself inside a wagon of the eight-legged warhouse by the name of Sleipnir. He frowned when he could still hear Ddraig's laughter within his subconscious.

'Would you please quiet down already?' Issei asked the Red Dragon Emperor in annoyance.

**{Kukukuku. You were so confused, partner. The look on your face when I told you, and especially after Ophis and Lilith told you themselves.}**

'It's not that funny.'

**{Kukukuku. They wanted you to sit on their laps, dumbass! Why else would both Ophis and Lilith morph their forms?}**

"Yo, brat. You all right?"

Issei looked over to the side, and he widened his eyes as he remembered who he was sitting with. He was sitting in the wagon with Azazel, Odin, and Rossweisse. Nodding to Odin, Issei crossed his arms.

'Boy, this takes the phrase awkward situation to a whole new level.'

**{No kidding, partner. I'm surprised that you actually said yes to the Norse God's offer.}**

'So am I.'

As he looked out of the windows, Issei tilted his head as he thought of something.

'Hey, do you remember our fight with Vali? When his armor of the Vanishing Dragon fell off. Do you remember the jewel that fell out as well?'

**{Yes I do remember. Go on.}**

'Why do you think Ophis and Brother Red were so fixated on it?'

**{Humph. Who knows? It's hard to predict what goes on in the minds of the Ouroboros Dragon and the True Dragon.}**

'…Hmm.'

**{Of course, perhaps they were thinking about you.}**

'Me? But why?'

**{While you were looking at Albion's jewel, the Infinite Dragon God kept staring at you, as though she was trying to connect you to the jewel.}**

'Did Ophis want me to…absorb the power of Vali's Dragon or something?'

**{It's possible. Like I said, it's hard to predict the thoughts of the Dragon God. You absorbing Albion's power could possibly result in something new.}**

'You mean like another transformation?'

**{Possibly. You already wield that first Solar transformation. Next is your Hell-Fire form. If you were to absorb the jewel of Albion, another transformation might occur.}**

Issei narrowed his eyes as he crossed his arms. Despite him and Vali being rivals, Issei actually respected the Vanishing Dragon.

'What else would happen if I absorbed Albion's jewel?'

**{Well, since it is just another 'Solar' transformation, I find it doubtful that your power level would increase. I believe that all you would gain would be the powers of Albion himself.}**

Issei remained silent as he listened to Ddraig. Just by absorbing the Vanishing Dragon's jewel, he would gain Albion's powers. Despite it being beneficial, Issei felt that absorbing the jewel of another Heavenly Dragon didn't sit right with him.

_KAKUN!_

_HIHEEEEEEEEEEN!_

The wagon suddenly stopped, causing the cargo to hit against the crew. Issei narrowed his eyes and looked out of the window to see a young man with a black robe.

"I am Loki! The Evil-God of Northern Europe!" Loki said as he shouted out.

Narrowing his eyes, Azazel flew out of the wagon and unsheathed his wings.

"Loki. To meet you of all people in a place like this. Do you have some business with us?"

"Nothing much." Loki began as he crossed his arms. "Our chief-God left our organization to get in touch with other factions, and that is very painful to endure."

"You are quite arrogant to say that up front, Loki. So why are you really here?"

"Azazel, the leader of the Fallen Angels! Normally I wouldn't want to meet or tell you about what I am doing. But I guess it can't be helped. I don't agree with your view about having peace. It is your religion which stepped foot on our soil and spread the bible after all."

"There's no point saying that to me. Say that to Michael or the deceased God from the Bible." Azazel stated as he scratched his head.

"Humph," Loki scoffed as he narrowed his eyes. "Do not tell me how I do things. There is a reason I came here, and one reason only."

"So this is the problem that the North faction carries, huh." Azazel guessed.

The door to the wagon opened, revealing Odin and Rossweisse.

"Hmm. There are still hard-headed people and that's the current situation we are facing. There are fools like this one who come out like this." Odin said as he stroked his white beard.

"Loki-sama! Your actions exceed your authori-!" Rossweisse tried to state.

"A mere battle-maiden shouldn't get in my way." Loki interrupted callously. "I'm asking Odin. Are you still planning to continue doing something which is outside our Norse world?"

"Yup. Talking to Sirzechs and Azazel is hell of a lot more interesting than talking to you."

He then smirked as he looked at the wagon to see Issei with his eyes closed. Little did Odin know, that Issei was actually talking to Ddraig about the Evil Norse God. Smirking widely, Odin turned his attention back to Loki.

"I want to know about Japanese Shinto. They also have an interest in our Yggdrasil. After we make peace, I'm thinking of exchanging our cultures by sending out each of our messengers."

"I have confirmed your plans." Loki stated as he smirked. "Such a foolish act. Very well, let's have a display of powers here then."

Azazel narrowed his eyes as he got into a battle position.

"So I can take that as a declaration of battle right?"

"Not to you or Odin, you filthy Fallen Angel." Loki insulted as he crossed his arms. "I want to fight the boy sitting in that wagon over there."

Azazel, Odin, and Rossweisse turned around just in time to see Issei fly out of the wagon. He narrowed his multi-colored eyes as he glared at the Evil God. Loki smiled as he clasped his hands.

'Ah, the son of Amaterasu himself. The son of the Sun.'

His brown hair glowing with a golden shade, Issei transformed into his Super Solar state. He narrowed his eyes further as he pondered.

'It's a shame I can't access my Hell-Fire form while I'm here.'

**{Are you saying you like going to Hell?}**

'Hell no! I was just thinking.'

**{…Just checking.}**

Ending his conversation with Ddraig, Issei set himself into a battle position as he glared up at Loki.

The Evil Norse God had a wide smile on his face, his excitement growing by the second. This boy was apparently one of the strongest Godlings in existence, and Loki wanted to prove his superiority by fighting him. It was going to be a glorious battle, which would end in the spawn of the Sun's defeat.

"It's time to begin, boy! Are you ready to face the most powerful Norse God in existence?!" Loki shouted out as he released his power.

Issei kept quiet as he remained focused. This God seemed to be far more competent than Riser and Kokabiel put together, so Issei knew he had to concentrate on the fight.

The Solar God stood with his eyes completely narrowed in slits. This was his first time fighting a God. From the power Loki was emitting, it was easy to assume that Riser and Kokabiel were flies compared to this joker.

Flaring out his Solar aura, Issei grunted as he glared at Loki.

"All right, Norse God. You asked for it." Issei declared, as his aura increased.

* * *

><p>Floating above a faraway building, was a figure. Although she had existed as a goddess her entire life, she chose the form of a mortal so as to not be detected. The woman had long black hair and brown-black almond colored eyes.<p>

Her eyes saddened into a forlorn look as she gazed at Issei Hyoudou from faraway.

'…Be careful, my precious little Sun.'

"Amaterasu-omikami. The One who Shines in the Heavens. This, is our first meeting."

Amaterasu widened her eyes and turned to see another floating figure. She didn't recognize the physical appearance of the person, but the tremendous energy she felt was familiar.

The power of Infinity.

It was a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties with long black hair that covered her pointed ears. Her cold dark-gray eyes, so narrow that they brought fright to the beings lower than hers, were blank without emotion. On top of her head, was the headpiece of a Gothic Lolita fashion.

Amaterasu gasped as she floated back a little from the woman in front of her. She recognized that powerful aura.

"T-The Infinite One! The Ouroboros Dragon!"

Ophis smiled as she gazed at the goddess.

"It is so nice to finally meet you. Amaterasu."

The goddess of the Sun put her hand on her chest.

"Wha-What are you doing here?!"

Ophis tilted her head as she floated to Amaterasu.

"That, is such an interesting question." Ophis began as she stopped just in front of the goddess. "I, would like to have a talk with my _dear_ mother-in-law."

Amaterasu felt her breath start to leave her throat, finding it hard to breathe. What did the Infinite Dragon God just say?

"W-What?!"

Ophis smiled wider as her gray-black eyes softened, her way of showing a degree of emotion.

"Your offspring..._my Issei_. He, is my mate."

* * *

><p><strong>At the Phenex Mansion<strong>

Sitting on the living room couch, Xuelan quietly hugged herself. Her face flushed with embarrassment and another unknown feeling within her chest. Her blue-green eyes softened as she discovered that she could still feel the traces of Issei's Solar aura within her, keeping her warm for a while.

It surprised Xuelan herself that she never told Issei she knew how to use pyrokinesis. So in reality, Xuelan could have granted herself warmth on her own. Yet Issei did so for her. Xuelan didn't know what to think about all this.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

At the sound of the doorbell, Xuelan shook her head to clear her thoughts, and got up from her spot to open the door. As soon as she did so, she rose an eyebrow in curiosity when she saw who it was at the door.

"Hey. Is Newby here?" said the first voice.

Blinking several times, Xuelan rose another eyebrow.

"Newby?" She repeated in confusion.

"Haha. He means Issei-san. So do you know where he is?"

* * *

><p><strong>The Dimensional Gap<strong>

Great Red huffed as he listened to Lilith's light breathing on top of him. The Apocalypse Dragon had to admit that he was a little surprised (and a bit miffed) when Ophis and Lilith had traveled to the Dimensional Gap without Issei.

Only to leave Lilith here with him.

'God damn it, Ophis.' Great Red muttered in his thoughts.

The True Red Dragon God Emperor lifted his head up to see Lilith sleeping peacefully on one of his scales. His golden eyes widened slightly as how innocent Lilith looked when she wasn't awake tormenting him.

As he looked at his second 'sister', Great Red huffed again and lowered his head.

Normally he would be performing crazy and extravagant tricks around the Dimensional Gap. However, the Great Red soon began to realize that he was experiencing a new emotion for the first time since he had been born from the illusion of Dreams.

Boredom.

'…I'm bored.'

The Apocalypse Dragon truly was bored. Years of ignoring the other beings of the world and performing biker tricks was all he pretty much did. Now, as he floated with the clone of his 'sister' on top of him, the Great Red didn't even know what he wanted to do next.

The True Red Dragon Emperor God was known as the one of the most fearsome beings in the Universe. With his power, not even ashes of the area he would potentially destroy would remain. If there was only one thing that could set him off, it was the act of staring at him.

However, even the Great Red himself knew that he had changed. Sure, he was a delinquent with the personality of a short-tempered biker, and he still hated it people stared at him. But as he began to spend more time with Issei, and especially Ophis (and yes, even Lilith), he knew his views had changed.

"Baka-Red…comfy."

Widening his golden eyes in surprise, Great Red turned his head to look at Lilith, who was attempting to fall back to sleep in order to get comfortable. His golden eyes widening further, Great Red silently huffed and lowered his head, closing his eyes.

Seconds later, a crimson-black cover manifested above Lilith, and placed itself on her. Opening his eyes, the Great Red huffed again as he looked around his surroundings of the Dimensional Gap.

'You're lucky you're a part of Ophis. Otherwise, I would've kicked your ass out of this place a long time ago.'

Unbeknownst to Great Red, Lilith's mouth started to curve upwards into a knowing smile.

* * *

><p><strong>In The Student Council Room<strong>

Two young women were silent as they worked diligently in the Student Council room. One stacked the sheets of papers, while the other stapled them.

"Do you believe it was a good idea to send Saji to retrieve Issei Hyoudou?"

"I didn't see any harm in doing so. Why do you ask?"

"Because I have a feeling that Rias has sent a member of her peerage to retrieve him as well."

"Rias _would_ do something like that." Sona said as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Tsubaki stared at her master for a couple of moments, before she removed her attention to look at the papers. Seconds later, she looked back at Sona.

"Kaichou, you don't think we're stalkers. Do you?"

Sona paused in her stacking, and turned to look at her Queen. She rose a thin eyebrow in curiosity.

"Us? Stalkers? Humph, if anyone's the stalker, it's Rias. After all, she was the one who tried to sneak into Issei Hyoudou's house."

Tsubaki rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"For what purpose?"

Sona gave Tsubaki a blank look as she answered her. "She wanted to introduce herself."

"By sneaking into his room?"

"Yeah, I know. It was a stupid idea to begin with."

"Wouldn't it have been better to just…fly into Issei Hyoudou's house? Or better yet, knock on his door?"

"Of course. But Rias was so eager to introduce herself to him, she really didn't think her plan through."

* * *

><p><strong>In the Occult Research Club<strong>

"ACHOO!"

"Bless you."

"Ugh, thanks Akeno."

Rias sniffed as she blew her nose. Just moments ago, she was completely fine. But seconds later, she had gone off on a sneezing tangent. It had gone on to the point that tissue boxes were placed on her desk.

Another box of tissues was placed on the desk. Rias looked up to see Koneko wearing a mouth mask. Although thankful to receiving the solution to her sneezing problem, Rias flashed Koneko a pout.

"Thanks Koneko-chan. But it's not like I'm sick or anything."

"That's what they all say, Buchou." Koneko pointed out as she walked back to the couch. Sitting on the couch, was a girl with blue hair. She had highlights in her hair, and wore the Kuoh Academy uniform.

"I have to agree with Koneko-chan, Buchou." The blue-haired girl said as she got up from the couch to give Rias another box of tissues.

They were going to run out of tissues at this point.

Rias pouted again as she accepted the box. "I'm not sick, Xenovia."

"Uh-huh." Xenovia hummed sarcastically as she walked away.

Rias sighed as she blew into the tissue.

'Ugh. Either I really do have a cold, or someone's talking bad about me.'

Akeno smiled slightly as she backed away from her friend.

'That was clever of Kiba-kun. As soon as Rias asked one of our members to go retrieve our kouhai, Kiba-kun immediately volunteered to do so. It's as though he knew Rias was going to go off into a tangent like this. Either that, or Kiba-kun really wanted to see Issei again.'

* * *

><p><strong>With Amaterasu and Ophis<strong>

Amaterasu didn't know what to say. One of the most powerful beings in existence was right in front of her! And what did it just say?

The Ouroboros Dragon remained silent as she moved her attention from Amaterasu to Issei.

"Your offspring has become powerful, has he not?"

The goddess of the Sun kept her mouth shut. The Infinite Dragon God was one of the most feared entities in existence. Yet here it was, talking to her as though they were in a civil conversation.

Gulping down a nervous lump in her throat, Amaterasu turned her attention to her son, who was still settled into his battle position.

"Yes. He is." She said in a forlorn tone.

Ophis set her eyes to the Sun goddess, and a smile showing an emotion akin to smugness crossed her face.

"That is why he is mine."

"?!" Amaterasu gasped as her eyes widened.

The Ouroboros Dragon's smile disappeared, and her eyes seemed to exude a chilling pressure.

"I, have only two questions for you, Amaterasu-omikami. You will, answer my first one."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei vs Loki<strong>

The Evil Norse God smiled wickedly as he stared at son of Amaterasu himself. The power radiating from Issei's Solar form excited Loki greatly. However, Loki knew all too well about Issei.

'He's powerful in this form. Very powerful. However, even I know that the power he's emitting is not at its fullest. Nowhere near it.'

As he watched Loki float in the air, Issei narrowed his eyes and made sure to position himself into his battle stance correctly.

**{Partner. This is a God you are about to battle. Be very careful. If it's required, I will allow you permission to use my power.}**

Issei smiled in gratitude to Ddraig's words.

'Thanks, Ddraig. But I think I can manage just fine.'

**{Hmm. My host is showing a bit of confidence. That's new.}**

Loki smiled widely as he put his hand out. A dark sphere of energy began to gather at his hand. Issei remained where he was. The young man noticed that glowing particles of light began to cover the energy. He narrowed his eyes as he sensed the overwhelming power within Loki's energy sphere.

"It's still too early for you to take on a God!" Loki shouted as he shot his attack towards Issei.

However much to his surprise, Issei merely stood where he was.

'Is he deliberately allowing himself to be hit by my attack?!' Loki began in his thoughts.

The Evil Norse God then smiled widely in amusement. 'A foolish tactic!'

As Loki's attack drew closer to him, Issei didn't budge an inch. He didn't even bother to conjure up an energy shield.

Azazel, Odin, and Rossweisse looked on as they watched Loki's energy blast shooting towards Issei. Rossweisse widened her eyes in worry.

"What's he doing?! Why isn't he moving out of the way?!"

"Humph." Odin huffed as he crossed his arms. "Don't get your virgin panties in a bunch, Rossweisse. The kid's going to be fine."

Glaring at Odin for his first sentence, Rossweisse then dropped her glare and her eyes widened further.

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Azazel asked as he smiled in amusement. "Issei Hyoudou may not be the strongest in the Universe. But he's not the weakest either."

"I don't understand." Rossweisse said in confusion.

"Just watch, and you'll see." Odin told her.

Loki's energy blast soared towards Issei at a quick pace. Seconds later, the massive energy blast collided into Issei violently, causing an explosive wind to shake the wagon and some nearby buildings. A bright flash of light illuminated as a result of the collision.

* * *

><p><strong>With Ophis and Amaterasu<strong>

Ophis and Amaterasu were silent as they watched Loki's attack engulf Issei entirely. None of the women showed any signs of worry. They both knew the power and durable reserves of Issei.

As she watched the bright light, Ophis turned her attention back to Amaterasu.

"So, that is the reason why Issei was sent to Earth. Because you were paranoid about your brother."

The goddess of the Sun and the Universe remained silent, but she nodded sadly to Ophis in response. Even if Opihs was the dreaded Infinite One, she couldn't tell her the _full_ reason why she had sent Issei to Earth.

"I was so angry at my brother. I was afraid that Susanoo would go after my son next. So I sent him to Earth, in order to ensure his safety."

Ophis tilted her head as she removed her attention from her mother-in-law.

"I, did not expect the goddess of the Sun to hold a grudge. It puzzles me."

Stealthily lowering her eyes in shame, Amaterasu set her eyes to the bright light, which now emerged as a giant-sized mushroom cloud.

"I wasn't thinking clearly. And I know it was a horrible act I committed. I'm just disappointed. In myself for abandoning my little Sun just because of my paranoia and grudge against Susanoo."

Ophis kept her silence as she looked back at her mother-in-law. The Ouroboros Dragon had known all this time that the woman in front of her was Issei's mother. When she sensed Issei's energy for the first time, she deduced that it radiated Solar Energy from the Sun. If there was any mention of the Sun at all, it most likely had to do with Amaterasu.

With tears starting to wet her eyes, Amaterasu looked back at the mushroom cloud, just in time to see it fading away.

"You knew I was Issei's mother. So why didn't you ever say anything to him?"

Ophis' eyes seemed to become even more devoid of emotion, but slowly, her eyes seemed to lighten.

"It is not my place to say so. Issei Hyoudou, is my mate. He is my first…and he shall be my only one. I, am not his mother. I, am the Nothingness that will claim and hide him until the time of Infinity approaches."

Amaterasu's eyes widened further as she listened to Ophis' words. She sensed the almost possessive yet affectionate tone within the Infinite Dragon God's words.

Staring at her mother-in-law momentarily, Ophis turned her attention back to the battlefield.

"My, second question. Why did you seal Ddraig within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi?"

Amaterasu gasped, not expecting the Ouroboros Dragon to ask that question. Her eyes lowered in nostalgia as she remembered.

"Because the Red Dragon Emperor was born from the energy of the Celestial Plains."

Ophis tilted her head at the new information Amaterasu gave her.

"As you know," Amaterasu began as she explained. "Dragons are born from masses of energy. The Two Heavenly Dragons were born from the Heavens from the Celestial Plains. I took care of Ddraig before he reached maturity. Albion was never around, because he and Ddraig never exactly favored one another."

Ophis narrowed her eyes as she attempted to deduce what Amaterasu was trying to explain.

"So when Ddraig's body disintegrated during the Great War, you retrieved his soul."

"That's right." Amaterasu said she nodded. "Like I said, I took care of Ddraig myself. Aside from Albion, I know the Red Dragon Emperor on a personal level."

"So that is why my Issei has him. You passed the Red Dragon Emperor onto him."

"…Yes." Amaterasu answered as her eyes lowered once more.

Tilting her head again, Ophis turned her attention to the battlefield just in time to see the silhouette of an unharmed Issei standing still. The Infinite Dragon God's lips curled upwards into a sly smile as she looked at her mate.

'My Issei is strong. He, is the Infinity that fills the void of the Nothingness of the Infinity. He completes me. That is why…'

Her dark-gray eyes narrowed as she looked at the surprised look on Loki's face.

'Issei Hyoudou is mine.'

* * *

><p><strong>On the Battlefield: Issei vs Loki<strong>

The smoke from the mushroom cloud slowly disappeared, revealing Issei, who stood still in his spot. He was floating above a large crater, with the ground showing remaining cracks. There appeared to be no cuts or any bloodied marks on his body at all.

An amused Azazel and Odin, as well as an amazed Rossweisse, kept quiet as they looked up at a surprised Loki.

The Evil Norse God couldn't believe what he had just seen. The son of Amaterasu didn't even move when he had sent the attack towards him. Loki was sure that the boy would eventually move as soon as the attack collided with him.

Blinking several times, Loki then smiled widely, and he began to chuckle greatly in amusement.

"This is amusing! Greatly amusing! I must admit, I wasn't exactly holding back that attack! This is glorious! Fuhahahaha!"

Issei didn't bother to open his mouth. Suddenly, he transmitted away. Loki rose an eyebrow, and then scoffed as he raised his arm up. Just as he predicted, Issei reappeared from above him and brought his fist down, allowing Loki to block it.

"Predictable!"

"Oh really?" Issei countered.

"Wha- GUAHHH!"

Loki cried out in unexpected pain as he felt a sharp punch in his gut. The Evil Norse God looked down in shock to see another Issei with his fist in his stomach. Narrowing his eyes, Issei inwardly scoffed at himself.

'I didn't expect a God to be tricked like that. Wait.'

Just as he thought, the Loki in front of him disappeared. Issei widened his eyes as Loki appeared just above him and went to shoot another dark energy blast. However, as soon as the blast shot towards Issei, it passed through him, as though he was a ghost.

Loki widened his eyes.

'Another illusion?!'

"GAHHHHH!" Loki screamed as he felt Issei knee him sharply in the back.

The true Issei narrowed his eyes further as he grabbed Loki's head and threw into the crater where he floated just moments ago. The young man didn't show any reaction as the ground shook in response to Loki hitting the ground.

Issei narrowed his eyes further as he noticed that Loki wasn't coming back up.

'What's taking him so long? I know that didn't kill him. Plus, he said he wasn't exactly holding back.'

Suddenly a black pool of space began to emerge just above the crater. Issei widened his eyes to see a widely smirking Loki gliding towards the black portal.

"Hey!" Issei shouted. "Where did you think you're going?!"

Loki smirked in amusement and flew faster.

"Follow me, Issei Hyoudou! And you shall see!" Loki shouted as he disappeared into the black vortex.

Issei grunted and complied with Loki's suggestion, flying himself into the black vortex. As soon as he got in, the portal closed and imploded upon itself, as though it had never been conjured up in the first place.

Azazel, Odin, and Rossweisse widened their eyes a little at Loki's actions.

"Hmm. Where could have they have gone to?" Azazel asked in interest.

* * *

><p><strong>With Ophis and Amaterasu<strong>

Ophis smiled as she watched the vortex disappear.

"I shall, follow my mate and the Norse God." The Infinite Dragon God declared as a black aura manifested to surround her.

Sending her dark-gray eyes towards Amaterasu, Ophis titled her head.

"Are you going to watch?"

Looking at Ophis, Amaterasu smiled sadly and shook her head.

"I would love to. But not yet. I'm not even supposed to be here. I…I just wanted to see what he looked like after all these years. Initially, Odin was supposed to bring my little Sun to Heaven, so Michael, Gabriel, and I could talk to him. But it seems that Loki has other plans."

"So you are returning to the realm of Heaven?" Ophis asked.

"…Yes." Amaterasu answered in hesitance before she transmitted away.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Arena of the Underworld<strong>

A black vortex appeared in the arena of the Underworld. Suddenly, two figures appeared out from it. The figures revealed themselves as Loki, and Super Solar issei.

Standing across from each other, Loki and Issei glared at the other. The Evil Norse God then smiled.

"It seems that I might have underestimated you, Issei Hyoudou. But don't get cocky, because I guarantee, I will not make the same mistake."

Issei narrowed his eyes as he looked around the arena. He had to admit, he never expected for the Devils to clean up the arena of the Underworld after all this time.

"How I do know you're not lying?" Issei quipped.

"…Cute." Loki deadpanned.

Suddenly, a portal manifested next to the Norse God. An ash-grayish figure jumped out of it. It appeared to be a dog who was 10 meters tall. Loki smiled as he pet the dog.

"My adorable son, Fenrir."

Issei rose an eyebrow as he looked at the Evil Norse God displaying affection towards a ferocious dog.

"You should be careful, Issei Hyoudou. This one is among the top-class of the worst monsters that I have created. After all, this one's fangs are something which can kill any God. I haven't tried it, but it should be effective against Gods from other religions."

Issei widened his eyes a little at Loki's explanation.

'It can kill any God?'

Loki smirked widely as he pointed to Issei.

"Let's see how you fare against my lovely son and I, Issei Hyoudou!" Loki declared as he flared out his godly aura.

Issei narrowed his eyes darkly as he clenched his fists. A familiar blackish-gray colored aura manifested around his body.

Both Loki and Fenrir rose their heads in confusion. The blackish aura imploded and engulfed Issei, causing the arena of the Underworld to shake and become illuminated by a bright light. The ground trembled, as though the flames of Hell-Fire itself was causing it to shake in terror.

Loki removed his hands from his eyes, and he let out a stifled gasp.

The appearance of Amaterasu's son had changed once again. His hair was now black in an upright style. His left eye was a stern brown color, while his right eye was a black-grayish color. His facial features sharpened, far contrasting from his usual calm look.

Loki's eyes widened at the sheer explosive power Issei was emitting. But then he smiled in a crazed manner.

"So this is the power of Issei Hyoudou?! Amazing! Absolutely amazing! _A HELL-FIRE ISSEI_!"

In his Hell-Fire transformation, Issei narrowed his eyes darkly. The flames of Hell-Fire surrounded his entire body, giving it the appearance of an erratic pool of fire.

Suddenly, a series of flames manifested, jutting out of Issei's back. Issei winced as the flames manifested into the shape of wings.

Loki's eyes widened further, and his smile looked like it was about to split his face.

"The flames of a Phoenix?! You truly are an interesting one, Issei Hyoudou! This form of yours! It exudes the aura of Hell-Fire, but also the aura of a Phoenix! Solar-Phoenix Issei!"

Issei got into a battle position as he flared out the auras of Phoenix and Hell-Fire. The ground below him and Loki began to crack in tension. Fenrir growled darkly at Issei, who ignored it. Looking at both Loki and Fenrir, Issei held up a fist, and tightened it.

"Two against one, huh? Are you feeling lucky?" Issei asked as he clenched his fist, causing black and crimson-sparks to blaze around his body.

* * *

><p><strong>The Dimensional Gap<strong>

Great Red opened his golden eyes in surprise when he sensed three vast powers. He could decipher Issei's power, as it was already familiar to him. The other sources of energy, he couldn't decipher them.

"Baka-Red. I, sense our Issei." Lilith said in her emotionless voice.

Great Red lifted his head up to see a teenage version of Ophis' clone. He noticed that Lilith was no longer wearing the Gothic Lolita uniform, but was now dressed in a different attire. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Great Red nodded to Lilith.

"You too, huh? I sense Issei as well. It's the same devastating power Ophis and I sensed when Issei fought that burnt turkey. But I also sense the legendary Phoenix within Issei as well. Hmm."

He looked down at Lilith and his eyes widened further. Lilith appeared to be as though she was in a trance.

"…Lilith?"

"I, like this power. I, feel warm."

The Apocalypse Dragon rose his head up in confusion.

'This is strange. Ophis practically hates the power that emits from Issei's Hell-Fire transformation. But Lilith looks like she's getting off just by sensing his power.'

Great Red widened his eyes to see that Lilith's dark-gray eyes were slowly gaining rings around them.

'…Uh-oh.'

"I shall, follow our Issei." Lilith monotoned as she transmitted away from the Great Red.

"Huh. Well, little bro, looks like you've got another stalker."

Immediately after Great Red said that, Lilith reappeared in front of him, staring at him with her cold ringed eyes. The Apocalypse Dragon blinked several times.

"Lili-"

"Doink." Lilith said as she flicked Great Red on his horn.

"OUCH!"

Before Great Red could retaliate, Lilith immediately transmitted away. The True Red Dragon Emperor God shook his head in anger, and gritted his teeth before sighing in tiredness.

'Yep, she's definitely Ophis' clone.'

* * *

><p><strong>At the Arena in the Underworld<strong>

Loki smiled in ecstasy as he watched Issei's aura illuminate throughout the arena of the Underworld.

'This fight shall definitely be interesting. Even if he has access to the flames of Hell-Fire and the blazes of the legendary Phoenix, the son of Amaterasu doesn't stand a chance against my adorable son and I!'

Smiling at Fenrir, Loki lifted his hand up.

"Attack him, my son!"

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!_

Fenrir howled as he sped towards the transformed Issei. The wolf extended his claws, preparing to strike Issei. The wolf was almost near the young man, and was ready to claw him.

Smiling wickedly, Loki chuckled. His eyes suddenly widened when something unexpected happened. As soon as Fenrir's claws came in contact with Issei's aura, they suddenly disintegrated. Loki's eyes widened further, as well as Fenrir's beady eyes.

'What is this?!'

Narrowing his eyes, Issei grabbed Fenrir's paw and maneuvered the wolf's weight to balance him over, allowing him to throw Fenrir over. Fenrir crashed into the ground of the arena, leaving a crater-sized hole.

Growling, Fenrir immediately got up from his spot, glaring at Issei with utmost hatred. Loki narrowed his eyes darkly, his stance becoming more threatening.

'My son's claws disintegrated as soon as it came in contact with this boy's aura. It's a good thing his claws can regenerate, but now he has to be careful.'

Standing perfectly still, Issei allowed his aura to fade away, remaining in his Hell-Fire form with the Phoenix wings intact. He looked up at Loki, and glared at him. Seconds later, Issei charged a flaming energy shield around him, and soared towards Loki in a great burst of speed.

Loki grunted and formed a godly shield of energy around him as well. He then charged towards Issei in a burst of speed. The two warriors clashed as their shields bumped against each other. They repeatedly crashed against each other, their auras repelling the other.

Loki grunted again as he noticed that Issei's energy shield was starting to overpower his own. The flames of Hell-Fire, combined with the Phoenix's blazes, started to pass through Loki's godly energy sphere.

'I don't understand! How is he so strong?!'

* * *

><p><strong>Top of the Arena of the Underworld<strong>

Sitting on the seats of the arena, Ophis smiled as she watched her mate fight the Evil Norse God. Although she didn't favor the energy signature of Issei's Hell-Fire transformation, she could sense the attributes of the legendary Phoenix balancing out the flames of Hell-Fire.

'My Issei, is faring well against his first God.'

"I, love Hell-Fire."

Ophis turned to see her clone sitting right next to her. She noticed that Lilith's eyes had a strange shape in them.

'Her eyes indicate that she is in a trance of some sort. How interesting.'

Lilith turned her dark-gray ringed eyes to her progenitor, and tilted her head.

"Original." Lilith began as her eyes seemed to become a bit hollow. "I, love dark Solar Energy. Do you, love it as well?"

Ophis kept her gaze on Lilith. Despite Lilith being her clone, Ophis could tell that the Dragon possessed different characteristics from her. The Ouroboros Dragon remembered telling the Apocalypse Dragon that Lilith's name derived from the very aspect of the Dark Moon Lilith. However, there was another reason that Lilith gained her name.

Lilith represented the dark shadows of Ophis' own personality. She was born of Ophis' utmost desire to keep Issei all to herself. When Ophis had first met Issei, in her mind, all she could think about was claiming him all to herself. That was why when she first met the six-year-old Issei Hyoudou, she summoned only one snake to mark him as her mate.

That snake was Lilith.

Over time, Ophis' interest in Issei had grown to the point of unparalleled obsessiveness. Yet slowly, but surely, Ophis began to feel genuine love for Issei. Her obsessiveness and jealousy began to fade away. However, some of it still remained, in the form of Lilith. All of the amoral and chaotic feelings Ophis had towards Issei was what gave birth to Lilith.

Ophis tilted her head as she looked at her clone closely.

'My snake is still naïve. My feelings that birthed her are not predominant as of yet. She has not shown any signs of obsession or amoral emotions. However, Lilith seems to favor the aura of our Issei's Hell-Fire transformation. I, do not like this form of his.'

Lilith tilted her head as she waited for her original to answer her question. Turning her attention back to the fight between Issei and Loki, Ophis shook her head to her clone.

"I, do not like this form of our Issei."

Lilith's ringed eyes widened a little in response to Ophis' answer.

"Why?" Lilith asked in a child-like voice.

"I shall tell you when you are older."

Lilith's body started to glow with a bright light, until the light faded. Lilith now appeared as a young adult, her body showing a bit of development. Ophis rose an eyebrow at Lilith.

"I, am older." Lilith said.

"…Very funny, my clone." Ophis said in a rare deadpanned voice.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei vs Loki<strong>

Narrowing his eyes, Issei brought his fist forward, summoning enough solar energy to pierce through Loki's shield. He successfully landed a punch to Loki's gut, causing the Evil God's shield to fade away.

The Evil God clutched his stomach as spittle flew out of his mouth. Issei proceeded to knee Loki in the forehead, and grabeed the Norse God before he soar away. Grabbing him by the head, Issei rapidly flew towards the ground, his Hell-Fire/Phoenix aura reforming. Loki screamed in pain as he and Issei crashed into the ground, causing an illuminating flash of light to emerge.

Fenrir growled again as he went to track Loki and Issei down. Once the light cleared, he saw Loki struggling to pry Issei off of him.

"Let me go, foolish boy!" Loki shouted.

"Not a chance! You said you wanted to fight me, so do it!" Issei countered.

Narrowing his eyes, Loki turned his attention to Fenrir.

"My son, you know what to do."

Fenrir nodded and charged towards Loki and Issei. Suddenly, he transported away from both of their sights. Smiling darkly, Loki elbowed Issei in his stomach, causing the young man to let go of him. Glinding away, Loki chuckled inwardly as he watched Fenrir appear behind Issei with his claws out to pounce.

Widening his eyes, Issei turned around to see Fenrir growling at him. Suddenly, all Issei could see now was blood. As he widened his eyes further, Issei looked down to see blood spurting out of his left arm. His left arm fell onto the ground with a thud.

His eyes growing heavy and closing by the second, Issei collapsed on the ground. Seeing his opponent fall, Loki lifted his arms up in glee.

"AS I THOUGHT. YOU WERE TOO EARLY TO FACE A GOD!"

* * *

><p><strong>Top of the Arena of the Underworld<strong>

It was completely silent on the bleachers of the arena. Although they had seen their mate with his arm decapitated, Ophis and Lilith showed no reaction. In fact, Ophis seemed to be showing a small smile, while Lilith on the other hand, was smiling with an eerie air about her.

"Loki," Ophis began as her smile widened. "Our Issei is strong."

"That is why," Lilith began in monotone with a scary tone. "He belongs to us."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei vs Loki<strong>

Loki chuckled as he looked around the Underworld.

'And here I was, getting worried. The son of Amaterasu. He was the one who prevented another Great War? Ridiculous. As far as I'm concerned, he was just a weakling.'

Turning to look at his son, Loki smiled at Fenrir.

"My adorable son, let us-"

Loki cut himself off when he noticed that Fenrir was bleeding from his mouth. His eyes widening in shock, Loki floated over to the wolf and looked into his mouth to see that one of his fangs was pulled out. The blood overflowed out of the wolf's mouth, causing Fenrir to cough out a bit of blood.

Loki looked around his surroundings, trying to find Fenrir's tooth, only to find nothing. Widening his eyes further, Loki floated over to the motionless Issei, and went to look at his hands, only to find that Issei wasn't holding anything.

'How can this be?! I didn't even see Fenrir getting his fang pulled out! Plus, I didn't see the son of Amaterasu pulling out the tooth! Wait. No it can't be!'

His eyes widening to constricting pupils, Loki slowly turned around.

"No…"

"Well. I must say I'm a little shocked by your actions, Norse God. You couldn't even tell the difference between the genuine article and the fake. I guess you're not that strong of a God after all."

"?!"

Loki felt an extreme amount of pain as he felt something pierce his back. The Evil Norse God turned around to see Issei stabbing him in the back with an extremely sharp object. His eyes widened in terror.

'I-is that…'

It was Fenrir's fang!

"No! Impossible!"

The Norse God twitched in pain when Issei twisted Fenrir's fang in his back further. The agony he was feeling was so hard for him to endure. He looked into Issei's eyes, and he felt his heart stop.

'I…feel like I'm looking into the eyes of Death itself.'

Issei narrowed his eyes as he let go of Fenrir's fang, floating away from the Evil Norse God. He looked down to see his illusion fading away. Crossing his arms, Issei sent his attention back to Loki, who stared at him in horror.

"How?! How could I let this happen?!"

"Loki. The outcome of this battle was already set to be in my favor." Issei declared.

"What do you mean?!"

"When you summoned that wolf of yours. You said that Fenrir's fangs could kill any God. So I waited until the time you sent him to attack me, and I grabbed one of his fangs."

Loki's mouth became jaw agape as he flew a step back from the young man. Narrowing his eyes, Issei put his hands in his pockets.

"You shouldn't have told me that, Loki. If you hadn't said anything, our battle would've gone on much longer than anticipated. So in reality, you made yourself lose this fight."

"GAH! SHUT THE HELL UP!" Loki shouted in irritation.

The blood from his back overflowed continuously, causing blood to seep onto the ground of the arena. Taking his hands out of his pockets, Issei held his hand above his head, lifting his index finger up. Loki gasped in horror, not knowing what Issei was about to do.

Before Issei could do anything else, a portal suddenly appeared in front of them. The silhouettes climbed out, revealing Odin, Azazel, and Rossweisse.

"Issei-san! Wait!"

At the call of his name, Issei turned to see Rossweisse with a worried look on her face. Lifting her hand, Rossweisse summoned a series of magic circles which appeared above Loki. Loki widened his eyes when the seals captured him. Issei narrowed his eyes as he sensed Loki's power decreasing.

Odin smirked as he looked at Amaterasu's son.

'Interesting. I sense Hell-Fire and Phoenix physiology within this brat. It's no wonder he beat Loki. Bastard's lucky that Rossweisse came at the right moment.'

Walking over to Issei, Azazel placed his arm around his shoulder in a friendly manner.

"What a scary face you have, Issei Hyoudou."

"What are you guys doing here?" Issei asked.

Making sure Loki was completely sealed, Rossweisse turned to look at Issei, her eyes still showing worry.

"Well…we could sense your power and Loki's power as well. We were a little worried that…"

"That he would lose? Your worry is unnecessary." Said a sultry, yet monotone voice.

The Valkyrie turned to see the Ouroboros Dragon herself, as well as her clone. Ophis and Lilith floated above the crew as the latter looked directly at Issei, her ringed eyes in a trance once more.

"Humph. You surprised us, Ouroboros. What are you doing here?" Odin asked.

Ophis smiled as she sent her attention back to Issei.

"I, was watching my mate fight the Norse God. I, knew that Loki was going to lose. That is why I watched the battle."

Azazel rose an eyebrow as he looked at the second Ophis, who was now floating towards Issei. The young man rose an eyebrow at Lilith's young adult appearance.

'What happened to her eyes?' Issei asked in his thoughts as he noticed Lilith's spiral-lined eyes.

"Hey, brat. Now that Loki is…incapacitated and scarred for life, what do you say we go somewhere else?" Odin said.

Wanting this day to end already, Issei sighed and slowly nodded.

"What place did you have in mind?"

Odin smiled as he crossed his arms.

"The realm of Heaven."


	8. Dysfunctional Family

**Near Issei's House**

Leiko Hyoudou looked up at the sky as she walked over to her cousin's house.

"Hmm. That's weird. It looks like a storm is coming tonight. But it looked so much sunnier earlier."

Shrugging in nonchalance, Leiko went to retrieve her own spare key to Issei's house. Twisting the doorknob around, Leiko opened the door, and widened her eyes at the first sight in her field of vision.

Sitting on her cousin's couch was a pale-skinned female with long red-hair and golden eyes. She was dressed in a biker vest on top of a red shirt, and black biker shorts. On top of her red hair was a black Harvey Davidson hat.

Leiko stood in shock, unsure of what to do about this unfamiliar person. The girl was laying down on her back with a magazine featuring motorcycles on the covers. The cousin of Issei blinked several times at the girl.

Sensing another presence within the house, the girl moved her attention from her magazine to Leiko.

"…"

"…"

The red-haired girl narrowed her golden eyes in annoyance.

"Oh, it's just you. What the hell are you staring at, cousin-in-law?" The girl asked in a gruff, yet clearly feminine voice.

Leiko widened her eyes at the girl's tone of voice. She remembered someone else saying those annoyed words. Someone who could invoke the fears and terrors of any mortal it came across.

Taking a step back, Leiko almost collapsed when she nearly bumped into the door.

"T-the Great Red?!"

The Apocalypse Dragon rose an eyebrow at Leiko, who looked on in horror and confusion at the new appearance of the Dragon.

"Who else were you expecting?" The True Dragon asked in a bored tone.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Underworld<strong>

As he watched Rossweisse and the others summon a portal which served as transportation, Issei turned to look at the sealed Loki, who seemed to be in a state of shock.

The Evil Norse God couldn't believe what had just happened to him. He had lost. He had lost to a mere child. And it was all because of himself. He had been hoisted by his own petard.

'The second I mentioned the power within my son's fangs, the outcome…was in Issei Hyoudou's favor. How could I have been so foolish?!'

While Loki occupied himself in his thoughts, Issei walked over to him, watching the blood flow from behind the Norse God. The young man narrowed his eyes when he noticed that Fenrir's fang was still embedded within the Norse God's back.

Narrowing his eyes further, Issei reached into the seals, and went to grip the fang. Loki widened his eyes at the unexpected pain and shuddered when he noticed that Issei was right behind him.

"W-what the hell are you doing?!"

"Claiming my prize." Issei stated before he ripped Fenrir's fang out of Loki's back.

"GAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Loki screamed as he felt his back pierce in pain once again.

Holding the bloodied fang of Fenrir, Issei looked over to see the wolf himself. Thanks to Rossweisse, Fenrir was sealed as well, rendering him harmless. At the sight of Issei, the wolf actually drew back, preferring to stay within his seals.

"My Issei."

At the call of his name, Issei turned to see Ophis walking towards him. The Ouroboros Dragon tilted her head as she spotted Fenrir's fang in Issei's hand.

"My mate. Why, do you have the fang of the Norse God's spawn?" Ophis asked as she sent her emotionless gaze to Issei.

Issei looked at the fang of Fenrir with a curious expression on his face.

"I guess I want to keep it as a reminder."

"A reminder?"

"Well, let me rephrase that. I guess I want to keep this as a trophy."

It was very brief, but Issei noticed that Ophis had risen an eyebrow in confusion to his statement.

"A trophy? For what reason?"

Issei looked back at the Norse God, whose eyes twitched at the bleeding and pain from his back.

"For winning against my first God."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

"W-what the hell happened to you?!"

The Great Red, now in a female form, yawned as she listened to the shocked Leiko.

"I was bored."

"Bored?!"

"Yeah. Is there an echo in here or something?"

Ignoring the Apocalypse Dragon's quip, Leiko shook her head to clear her thoughts.

'This can't be happening! I thought he was a boy! Why is he a girl?! Did he get a sex change operation or something?!'

Looking at Leiko with a bored look, the Great Red got into a standing position.

"Life has become a little bit boring while I've resided in the Dimensional Gap. Even the thought of doing tricks in my home doesn't sound as fun anymore. So I decided to try something new for once."

"By transforming into a shem-!"

"The form _is_ female you know." Great Red interrupted in an almost offended tone.

Leiko stared wide-eyed at her cousin-in-law, and turned around so that the Great Red couldn't see her face.

"I can't even believe we're having this conversation."

"You're the one who's making a big deal out of it."

"How can you even...what the hell is your true gender anyway?!" Leiko asked, her patience almost leaving.

A dark and terrifying smirk grew on Great Red's face.

"My true gender you ask? We Dragons are born out of energy, so technically we have no gender. But since I don't care about logic, I will tell you that I am actually male. I have just taken upon a feminine incarnation to soothe my boredom. Shape and form have no meaning to us, cousin Leiko. I can take and assume any form I want to."

"…Why?"

The smirk on Great Red's face widened in smugness.

"Because I'm just that badass."

"It's so weird seeing you as a female. It's creepy."

"Nobody asked for your opinion." The Apocalypse Dragon responded with a annoyed look.

Before Leiko could respond, a thought suddenly came to her mind.

"Wait. You said Dragons were born out of massive surges of energy, right?"

"Ah, so someone actually was listening. I'm impressed." The Great Red mockingly stated as she looked back at her magazine.

"So that means Ophis isn't…no, it can't be."

The Great Red removed her attention back to her cousin-in-law and smiled mischievously.

"Yep, Ophis is genderless. Like I said, Dragons technically have no gender, but like I also said, screw logic. So in reality, your cousin is actually married to Cthulhu."

"Hey! Ophis is your sis…well your sibling."

"So? Ophis has been calling me Baka-Red since we were born."

"I still can't believe we are having this conversation."

"I still can't believe you're not shutting up about it."

"You know what-"

Before Leiko could finish her threat towards the Great Red, a portal suddenly manifested into Issei's living room.

As Leiko stared in amazement at the portal, the Great Red's body glowed, until the light disappeared. The Great Red had reverted to his male incarnation.

The Apocalypse Dragon narrowed his eyes as he spotted a figure climbing out of the portal. Leiko widened her eyes at the man, who lifted his head up and smirked darkly at Issei's cousin and the Apocalypse Dragon.

"The Apocalypse Dragon. It's so nice to meet you." The man greeted as he mockingly bowed.

Great Red narrowed his eyes as he stepped in front of Leiko protectively. Smiling widely, the man lifted himself up and crossed his arms.

"So this is where my nephew lives."

Leiko widened her eyes in surprise at the man's words.

'Nephew?!'

The man smirked wider as he looked over to Leiko, who recoiled at the man's leer.

"Ah, this woman seems to be frightened of me. Hmm. Tell me, my dear. Do you like combs?"

* * *

><p><strong>Heaven (Akihabara)<strong>

"Are you sure you don't want to come with, Ophis?"

Ophis tilted her head as she looked around the café' of Heaven. She remembered what the goddess of the Sun and the Universe had told her about the meeting with Michael and Gabriel.

'Perhaps this is the event my mother-in-law conversed with me about. There, is no point in me being here with my mate. Even if I desire to be with my Issei for this event, I shall not participate in the meeting between Amaterasu and Issei.'

The Ouroboros Dragon shook her head in response to Issei's question.

"No. I, shall not accompany you. The Angels wanted to converse with you only. I, am not involved with either Michael or Gabriel."

Issei blinked several times in response to Ophis' answer. Sending Issei a slight smile, Ophis moved forward to lock her lips on Issei's own. The young man widened his eyes when he felt the Ouroboros Dragon's tongue gripping his own.

Seconds later, Ophis released her lips from Issei's, and lifted up her finger, and tapped Issei on the cheek.

"I, shall see you later."

And with that the Ouroboros Dragon transmitted away, leaving Issei at the Akihabara café'.

"Issei Hyoudou."

Issei turned around to see Gabriel and Michael sitting at a nearby table. Nodding to the two of them, Issei walked over to sit at their table.

"Gabriel-san. Michael-san."

Gabriel smiled as she looked at Issei. On the outside, she seemed to be cheerful, but on the inside she was greatly conflicted. Michael's droopy green eyes showed how he was feeling. But, he had called Issei to go to Heaven for a reason.

It was for an old friend. That old friend happened to be the major deity of the Sun and the Universe.

"Issei. It's good to see you. How have you been?" Michael asked.

Issei folded his arms on the table, and he nodded.

"I've been okay. I pulled a fang out today."

"A-a fang?" Gabriel asked in hesitance.

"Yeah. Did you want to see it?" Issei suggested as he reached into his pocket.

"No, thanks." Michael said as he shook his head.

The Angel inwardly sighed in relief when he saw Issei retract his hand from his pocket.

"Issei," Michael began as he looked into the young man's eyes, "There's someone we want you to meet."

Issei rose an eyebrow at Michael's declaration.

"Meet? Is it an Angel, Devil, or a Fallen Angel or something?"

Gabriel shook her head in response to Issei's guessing.

"No. In fact, she's neither of those things."

'She?' Issei thought as he sat up in his seat.

One of the doors to the cage opened. Issei looked up to see a woman with long black hair and almond-shaped brown-black eyes. She was dressed in a robe that featured Japanese symbols, her long black hair billowing against it.

Issei widened his eyes when he sensed the woman's energy signature.

'Her power! it's just like the sun!'

Michael and Gabriel remained silent as they watched the woman walk towards their table.

As the woman walked up to the trio, she set her eyes to Issei. Her brown-black eyes softened considerably, and her face twisted a little in shame and heartbreak. Walking and stopping behind Gabriel and Michael, the woman set her gaze to Issei, who stared back in confusion.

'Who is this woman? And why does she have the energy of the Sun?'

Her eyes starting to become wet with tears, the woman looked into Issei's eyes, seeing the great confusion within.

"It's been so long."

Issei blinked several times in bewilderment.

'Does she know me?'

"Far too long." The woman amended.

Holding back the tears in her eyes, the woman's expression softened as she looked at Issei intently.

"At last we finally meet. My darling little son. My baby."

"?!" Issei gasped as his eyes widened in great shock.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Great Red narrowed his eyes darkly at the man in front of him.

"Susanoo-no-Mikoto. The Shinto God of sea and storms. What are you doing here?"

The God of the storms smiled as he moved his attention from Leiko, and sent his look to the Apocalypse Dragon.

"Is it a crime to find my nephew for the first time?"

"Who is your nephew? And why are you here?" Leiko asked in great confusion.

"What a good question. But while we're on the subject, I'll unveil my answer. My nephew is the one called Issei. You know of him right?"

Leiko widened her crimson-eyes in shock.

"I-Ise-itoko?!"

Susanoo smirked widely.

"Ah, so you do know him. And you called him your cousin. I don't sense any otherworldly energy within you, so you can't be related to him at all."

"What the hell do you want with Issei?!" Great Red demanded, almost losing his patience.

"The matter is very simple. I've come to take back the Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi."

* * *

><p><strong>Heaven (In Akhibara)<strong>

The café of Akhibara was extremely silent. It was so quiet that not even a tumbleweed would have bothered to glide across the ground.

Issei stared wide-eyed at the woman in front of him. He didn't recognize this woman at all. Her facial features, her energy signature was unfamiliar to him. Yet here she was, proclaiming herself as his mother.

"Wha-what did you just say?" Issei asked as he stared in shock.

Amaterasu tried to compose herself, and opened her mouth as she spoke her words out carefully.

"My little Sun. My precious little baby."

Issei's heart beat rapidly, and he almost found it hard to breathe. The woman took a step forward towards Issei, who backed away.

"My name is Amaterasu." She began as she put her hand on her chest. "I am the ruler of the Sun and the Universe. And...you are my little child."

Issei felt his mind go completely blank. He felt so numb. He didn't know what to feel in this situation. He didn't know how to react.

'This has to be a trick! Mom and Dad told me I was adopted, but they never once mentioned who my real parents could be! Did they not know?'

In the midst of his own confusion, Issei looked up at the sun goddess, and only stared with wide and incredulous eyes. Amaterasu didn't react, as she knew her son wouldn't be happy at all to see her.

"I-I don't believe you." Issei hesitated, inwardly cursing himself for stuttering.

Amaterasu, Gabriel, and Michael widened their eyes at Issei's statement.

"If you really are my mother," Issei began as he backed away, "Then why on Earth are you introducing yourself to me now? Why wait so long?"

Amaterasu found it extremely hard to compose herself now, but she wouldn't cry. She had already down enough crying the day she left Issei at the Grand Ise Shrine. As she looked at her child, she could see the look of shock, sadness, pain, and hidden fury in his eyes.

"Because the thought of not being able to see you was too much to bear." Amaterasu responded softly.

"?!"

"I made a terrible mistake in sending you to Earth, my little Issei. I was so foolish for doing that. I never should have done it in the first pla-."

"I don't care about you sending me to Earth." Issei interrupted as his frown became almost melancholic. "I just want to know why you did it in the first place?!"

"…It was for a irrational reason."

"Irrational reason?" Issei asked, "What do you mean, irrational reason?"

Amaterasu inwardly gasped at the cold tone in her son's voice. Her eyes starting to moisten, Amaterasu placed her hands to her side.

"It was all because of a grudge."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

"The Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi?" Leiko asked in puzzlement. "Are you talking about the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi?"

"Why yes I am." Susanoo answered in amusement. "That sword belongs to me. I claimed it for myself when I defeated the Yamata no Orochi. When I split its tail open, the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi was trapped within it. From that day forward, the sword became mine to use."

Great Rose rose an eyebrow at Susanoo's revelation.

"Yamata no Orochi? Humph, that bastard eight-forked serpent. It was said that _you_ killed it. Though I don't recall that the sword was contained within it."

"Well, a lot of beings were unaware of the existence of the sword. The Yamata no Orochi wasn't exactly a sociable entity." Susanoo deadpanned.

Glaring at the storm God, Great Red walked over to him.

"You gave that sword to your sister as a reconciliation gift. But now after so many years have passed, you suddenly want it back. Why is that?"

Susanoo smiled as he closed his eyes.

"I don't think it's any of your business, Apocalypse Dragon."

"When it involves Issei Hyoudou, then it is my business, dumb-ass." Great Red countered in an irritated tone.

Chuckling in response, Susanoo waved his hands up in defense.

"Very well, I shall tell you. The reason is because of the presence of the Red Dragon Emperor. I know that Amaterasu sealed Ddraig within the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. After all, the Two Heavenly Dragons were born around the presence of Shinto Gods."

As she listened to the conversation between Great Red and Susanoo, Leiko shook her head. Since she didn't interact that much with the world of the supernatural, she wasn't aware of the elements of the realm. Hell, her knowledge of the supernatural was very limited.

'I don't understand a single thing these two are talking about! And I still don't understand what is going on around here! Ever since I visited Ise-itoko, life hasn't been exactly normal. First, Ise-itoko becomes a Super Saiyan or something. Then I find out he's married to a Dragon, which makes 'her' my cousin-in-law. Then I find out that she had a 'brother', who is also my cousin-in-law. And now this guy says that Issei is his nephew!'

Leiko inwardly sighed as she shook her head.

'It seems that every time Ise-itoko meets someone, or someone that happens to know him, they turn out to be another member of the family.'

Great Red narrowed his eyes further as he clenched his fists.

Are you really dumb enough to believe that Issei is going to give the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi to you willingly? Amaterasu passed the sword passed onto him."

Susanoo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Of course she did. My idiot sister thought it would serve as a form of protection for Issei. With the Red Dragon Emperor sealed inside the sword, my nephew would no doubt become powerful."

"You said the Two Heavenly Dragons were around the era of the Shinto Gods. What of Albion? Does he know about you as well?"

"Of course." Susanoo smiled in smugness. "In fact, I guess you could say that Albion and I know each other. I'm honestly surprised that no one ever found out the reason why Ddraig and Albion were rivals in the first place. It is because Amaterasu raised Ddraig, and I, in a sense, took care of Albion. Although the Vanishing Dragon was always stubborn and refused to listen to my orders. Humph, Dragons are always such a lost cause."

Widening his eyes in fury, Great Red reared his fist back to deck the storm God, until Susanoo reached behind him and pulled out a small needle. With blood on it. Almost immediately, Great Red pulled his fist back in shock.

'Is that...?!'

Susanoo smiled wickedly as he nodded his head.

"Yes, you recognize this blood don't you, Apocalypse Dragon? This is the blood of Samael himself."

Leiko widened her eyes at Susanoo's explanation.

'Samael? Hold on, I've heard of him! He was the serpent that told Adam and Eve to eat the Fruit of Wisdom! He actually exists?!'

Great Red twitched his eyes and gritted his teeth in great hatred. Despite he and Ophis holding the title of being the most strongest and primordial existences in the Universe, even they were not immune to the blood of Samael.

Calming down for the moment, the Apocalypse Dragon restrained himself. He would have to listen to the storm god's monologue for the time being.

Smirking widely, Susanoo turned his attention to Leiko.

"My dear, would you like to hear about Samael?"

Leiko narrowed her eyes at the God.

"I already know who he is." She answered, "He was the serpent who manipulated Adam and Eve. I know what he did."

"Ah, I'm afraid you don't. You see, Samael is a mixture between a Dragon and a Fallen Angel. He was indeed the serpent that tricked Adam and Eve to eat the Fruit of Wisdom. However, after that ordeal, God punished him by transforming him into a Dragon and Fallen Angel hybrid, and sealed him in the deepest trenches of the Underworld."

Gritting his sharp teeth, Great Red glared darkly at the God in front of him.

"How the hell did you get hold of Samael's blood?"

"Let's just say," Susanoo began as his smirk bordered on complete smugness, "I got it from an organization I work for."

"Organization?" Great Red and Leiko asked simultaneously.

"Why yes. In fact, it's an organization dedicated to defeating the likes of you, Apocalypse Dragon."

Narrowing his eyes at the God's arrogant tone, Great Red almost lost his rare composure, until a familiar voice made it presence known.

"If anyone is to beat the likes of Baka-Red, it shall be me, Susanoo-no-Mikoto."

* * *

><p><strong>Heaven (In Akhibara)<strong>

"A-a grudge?!" Issei almost screamed out in incredulity.

The young man couldn't believe it. The woman who claimed to be his mother abandoned him all because of a stupid grudge? Issei didn't know if he should have felt insulted or just outright astonished.

"You removed your contact from me and sent me to Earth, all because you held a grudge against your brother?! What was the grudge even about?!"

Amaterasu kept her mouth shut as she waited for her son to (hopefully) calm down. She genuinely felt horrible for what she did to her child, and as she looked at him, she could tell he was trying to restrain himself from obliterating the area around him. Her 'little Sun's' face was twisted in a combination of melancholy and bafflement.

Issei continued to stare at Amaterasu with wide eyes..

"W-why on Earth would you do that?!" Issei yelled out. "Even if your brother was dangerous, don't you think you could've hidden me away somewhere else?! Why did you send me to Earth?!"

"…"

"Why?!" Issei's voice cracked, "Please tell me!"

Amaterasu almost felt her eyes water, but she was able to keep her composure up to a slight degree.

"Despite my grudge against my brother, there was another reason I sent you to Earth, my little Sun. But I..."

"What was the reason?" Issei asked, his tone almost desperate and pleading.

He was angry, that was for sure. But he wanted to know. He wanted to know so badly. Why she did this to him.

Amaterasu gazed at her son with longing regret and genuine love. She couldn't tell him the true reason. Not yet. Her 'little Sun' wasn't ready. Inwardly taking a deep breath, Amaterasu managed to compose herself.

"Because I wanted to find a way for the Universe to retain life."

"What do you mean for the Universe to retain life?" Issei repeated in disbelief.

"…In case something were to happen to me. If I was not around to supply the Universe or the Earth with the energy of the Sun, then…"

Issei never thought it was possible for his eyes to widen even further than they had before. He felt his hands tighten as he struggled to control himself.

"S-so the reason I was born was because I was supposed to serve as your replacement? You wanted me to serve as the savior of Earth or something?"

Amaterasu watched her son carefully, listening fully to his words.

"Ever since I was little, the people of Earth always harassed me because of the appearance of my eyes. Every. Single. Day. I was so sick of it to the point that I wanted to be left alone. I wanted to be in the state of isolation forever."

Looking into his mother's eyes, Issei's melancholic look morphed into a sharp glare.

"You're the reason I was so lonely as a child. The reason I was ostracized from everyone else."

"M-my little Issei-" Amaterasu started.

"No." Issei interrupted as his face returned to its melancholic state. "I-I can't listen anymore. The fact that I was created just to serve as a failsafe…"

'No you weren't,' Amaterasu cried desperately in her mind, 'You weren't, my darling little Sun.'

His body shaking, Issei turned around, preventing his mother and the Angels from seeing his face. His breathing growing ragged, Issei shook his head as solar flares began to spiral around his body, and he quietely transmitted away from the cafe.

Amaterasu stood still for a few moments, and then her eyes finally released tears. Michael and Gabriel remained silent, finding themselves unsure and feeling awkward at the exchange between Amaterasu and Issei.

* * *

><p><strong>At the Phenex Mansion<strong>

"Huh. So Newby's not here?"

"Sorry. I actually forgot where he was going."

"Well, I guess Buchou's going to be disappointed."

"Kaichou will probably be disappointed as well. She seemed really eager to talk to Newby."

"Sona-kaichou? Eager?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised too."

Xuelan smiled as she led Yuuto Kiba and Genshriou Saji to the door. She was a little surprised that out of all the places they could have checked to find Issei, they came to the Phenex mansion.

"If Issei does come by, then I'll tell him you guys visited." She offered.

Yuuto and Saji smiled.

"Thanks." Yuuto said.

"Yeah, thanks. We actually haven't seen Newby in a while." Saji pondered as he walked out of the door.

Closing the door behind her, Xuelan sighed in tiredness.

"Hmm. I wonder what they needed Issei for." She mused.

"That, is an interesting question." A voice laced with an emotionless, yet dangerously seductive tone.

Widening her eyes at the sound of the voice, Xuelan turned around to see 'Ophis'. Xuelan rose an eyebrow in confusion.

'Hold on. She looks like Ophis. But strangely…she looks different too.'

Tilting her head, Lilith looked around the mansion with a curious air about her.

"What do they want with our Issei?"

"Our Issei?" Xuelan asked hesitantly.

Almost instantaneously, Lilith sent her ringed eyes over to Xuelan, who recoiled at bit on how dark Lilith's eyes appeared to be.

"No. Issei belongs to me, and my Original."

"Original? Wait, do you mean Ophis?"

Nodding robotically, Lilith moved her attention to the living room table, and tilted her head. In front of her was a plate of fruit. Picking a crimson apple, Lilith brought her lips to the apple, and bit into it, allowing Xuelan to see her sharp teeth.

'She's a lot more creepier than Ophis.'

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Susanoo narrowed his eyes and turned around to see the Infinite Dragon God with an emotionless look on her face. He then smirked widely, and held the needle with the blood of Samael behind his back.

"Ouroboros. It's such an honor to be in your presence."

Ophis narrowed her eyes at the storm God. Before leaving Akhibara, she had dropped Lilith off at the Phenex mansion in hopes that the clone's darker thoughts would fade away eventually. And now here she was, in the presence of Susanoo-no-Mikoto.

"You stated that you've come to retrieve the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi from my mate. That, is unacceptable."

Chuckling, Susanoo spread his free arm outwardly.

"Maybe in your eyes, Ouroboros. But in my eyes, claiming the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi is completely acceptable. After all, it was originally_ my_ sword. I merely gave it to Amaterasu to quit her whining and animosity. After that, I wanted nothing to do with the sword anymore. At least until I found out that she sealed the Welsh Dragon within it."

Ophis glared at the storm God in annoyance, which only made Susanoo smirk wider.

"Of course, there is another reason I want my sword back. At first when I defeated the Yamata no Orochi and claimed the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi for myself, I thought the sword wasn't that special. Until I realized something spectacular."

Ophis, Great Red, and Leiko remained quiet as they listened to Susanoo's next words.

"A portion of the Yamata-no-Orochi's soul was sealed into the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. By the time I gave the sword to Amaterasu, it was already too late. I assumed that she destroyed the portion of the Orochi's soul when she incorporated Ddriag's soul within the sword. But then I remembered, that the Yamata no Orochi was actually an intelligent creature. It can be assumed that it suppressed its energy signature and remained dormant for some time."

Although she didn't show any signs of reaction, Ophis was genuinely curious. As she was the Nothingness of Infinity, she could sense the numerous life forces of the Universe. It honestly shocked her that she couldn't sense the energy signature of the Yamata no Orochi.

'So my Issei has another creature that is sealed within his sword. The Orochi. That, complicates things. I, am puzzled that Ddraig has never once mentioned the serpent. I wonder, is he perhaps suppressing it from my Issei?'

Turning around to face the Great Red and Leiko, Susanoo menacingly lifted the needle containing the blood of Samael up to Great Red's face, prompting the Apocalypse Dragon to growl darkly at the God.

"As I was saying, Apocalypse Dragon. There is an organization that is dedicated to defeating you. It's dedicated to defeating you and the Ouroboros Dragon as well."

At Susanoo's threat, Ophis merely gave the storm God an annoyed glare. Smiling wider, Susanoo held up the needle with Samael's blood further to Great Red's face.

"I never thought I'd see the day. The almighty Great Red, frightened of a tiny needle." Susanoo mocked gleefully.

He then turned his attention to Leiko, who looked back at him with her wide crimson eyes.

"Perhaps I'll turn you into a comb, after I finish killing the Dragon of Dreams and the Ouroboros Dragon."

Before Susanoo could make true to his statement, a golden wave of solar flares spiraled in front of him and the Great Red. The golden waves of solar energy released a bright light that slowly faded to reveal a familiar figure.

Removing his hand from his eyes, Susanoo rose an eyebrow in curiosity at the male in front of him.

The male had orange-yellow/golden hair that was spiked upwards and pointed in all directions. Susanoo rose another eyebrow in curiosity when he noticed that the male also had wing-like fringes in his hair. The young man was dressed in a red shirt, black pants, and brown dress shoes. Covering his red shirt was a black jacket that flared out from behind him. The aura of solar energy surrounded his body, giving him the appearance of a golden warrior.

Blinking several times at the warrior, Susanoo gave him a dark smirk and chuckled.

"So this is how we meet? The first time I meet my nephew, and here he is, protecting these worthless creatures."

Gritting his teeth and widening his eyes in fury, Issei flared the aura of his Super Solar state, causing the house to shake.

"I won't let you escape within an inch of your life!"

Susanoo smiled as he lifted his hands up. A portal emerged above the people within Issei's house, bolts of lightning surrounding it.

"What a great declaration, my nephew. Come. Follow me so we shall commence our glorious battle!" Susanoo declared as he jumped into the portal.

Gritting his teeth, Issei went to jump into the portal as well, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. His aura flaring outwardly, Issei turned around to see Leiko with a concerned frown on her face. Behind her was Great Red, who glared at the portal which transported the storm God.

"Ise-itoko…"

Leiko frowned as she tried to sense some traces of calmness within her cousin. It always frightened her on how her cousin acted when he was in his transformed state. So fierce with uncontrolled anger. It was as though as whenever he was transformed, all of his anger was being released.

"My, Issei."

Leiko widened her eyes to see Ophis with her hands on Issei's cheeks. The Ouroboros Dragon's expression remained emotionless. Her eyes, however, showed her true feelings. She was honestly worried about her mate.

As he turned around to face Ophis, Issei felt his aura recede just slightly.

"He…he threatened all of you." Issei began as his aura began to flare with intensity. "I'm not going to let him get away with that."

Tilting her head, Ophis sent her gaze up to Great Red, who also appeared to be a bit worried about Issei.

"Great Red. I saw you recoil from the storm God when he revealed the needle laced with Samael's blood. Why, did you step back?"

Rolling his eyes, Great Red scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Please Ophis, don't insult me. I wanted to hear the dumb-ass explain the full reason why we came all the way here. Believe me, I wanted to tear that God limb from limb. I just wanted to hear the full explanation why he was here in the first place. Besides, killing him would've been too easy."

Ophis tilted her head again at her brother's explanation, and set her attention back to Issei, whose aura was starting recede.

'My Issei. I sense a great amount of pain and confusion within my mate. Perhaps…Amaterasu has finally introduced herself to him.'

A glowing light suddenly manifested within Issei's hand, revealing the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. Lifting his head up, Issei frowned.

"I'm going after him." He said quietly as he flew up towards the portal.

As soon as he came in contact with it, the portal swallowed him whole, imploding upon itself. As she stood silently, Leiko looked away as her crimson eyes softened.

'Ise-itoko. He looked so murderous. And yet, I saw so much pain in his eyes.'

* * *

><p><strong>The Dimensional Gap<strong>

A portal emerged within the Dimensional Gap, revealing the silhouettes of Issei and Susanoo. As he smirked widely at his nephew, Susanoo bumped his fists together, causing cracks of lightning to emit from his hands. His eyes widened when he noticed that Issei was holding the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Issei narrowed his eyes as he glared at his uncle. The God mentioned merely smirked as he withdrew his hands.

"My nephew. I would like to add a little twist to this fight of ours."

"What kind of twist?"

"Why it's simple. That sword that you inherited from Amaterasu," Susanoo inwardly relished at the sight of Issei glowering at the mention of his mother, "Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi originally belonged to me."

"…"

"I believe what I am trying to say is that I want it back. A mere child, not the mention an offspring of my wretched sister, does not deserve to carry the sword that I earned."

"…"

Raising an eyebrow at his nephew's lack of response, Susanoo smirked and transmitted away. Appearing in front of Issei, Susanoo grabbed onto the sword. As soon as he had done so, a black aura began to cover the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Issei narrowed his eyes as he looked at the sword beginning to change shape. Suddenly, a red crimson aura began to take shape and envelop the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi as well. At the sight of the crimson aura, Susanoo narrowed his eyes darkly.

"I see. The presence of the Red Dragon Emperor is trying to suppress the other beast sealed within."

Issei's eyes widened a bit in confusion.

'The other beast?'

He wasn't aware that there was another beast sealed within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. He assumed that only Ddraig's soul was encased.

Narrowing his eyes further, Susanoo lifted his hand up, a bolt of energy in the shape of lightning appearing. Smiling wickedly, he went to strike Issei, who widened his eyes further and quickly summoned up a shield of solar energy.

Susanoo scoffed and put more pressure within his lightning bolt, which began to pierce through Issei's Solar Shield.

"Your aura. It's far more erratic than that of Amaterasu's. The power of the primordial Sun encased within the son of a pathetic Shinto Goddess. Humph, it's amazing."

Issei kept quiet as he tried to retain his Solar Shield. Smirking widely, Susanoo put more pressure on his attack.

"You've used this power to defeat those who have wronged you. I guess what they say is true: Sure as the sun will rise…the battles…shall continue."

His lightning bolt directly shattering Issei's Solar Shield, Susanoo grabbed Issei by the throat. Summoning another lightning bolt, Susanoo went to plunge it into his nephew. Before he could succeed, he saw Issei use his free hand to reach into his pocket.

"Just what are you pulling out?!"

Narrowing his eyes, Issei pulled an extremely sharp fang and held it up high. Widening his eyes, Susanoo almost lost his composure. Almost.

'The fang of Fenrir!'

Gritting his teeth, Susanoo reared his fist back and plunged the lightning bolt into Issei's chest. Before the lightning bolt hit Issei directly, he was able to puncture Susanoo with the fang of Fenrir.

Issei widened his eyes at the pain, and he suddenly found himself out of his Super Solar form, and he coughed out some blood. Wincing at the effect of Fenrir's fang, Susanoo closed his mouth to prevent most of the blood from flowing out.

Suddenly, the spots of blood from Issei and Susanoo fell onto the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The sword started to glow with an eerie aura, and then it released a bright flash that illuminated throughout the Dimensional Gap.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

"Hold on! So, you mean my Ise-itoko is-?"

"Yes. My Issei, is not a human."

"Well, I found out he wasn't human ever since he saved me from the Underworld. I thought he was just some superhuman or something." Leiko stated as she crossed her arms.

"Humph." Great Red huffed as he looked around the house.

He then moved his attention to Ophis, who stood still in the living room. Suddenly a shadow resembling the silhouette of snakes emerged in the room. The shadow then formed into a formless substance, until the mass gained a shape.

Ophis' eyes remained cold as she witnessed her clone emerging from the shadows.

'Her thoughts have not cleared. They are becoming far darker than I had expected.'

Opening her ringed eyes, Lilith met the stares of her original, her brother, and her cousin-in-law. Leiko blinked several times at the appearance of Lilith.

'Were her eyes always that way?'

The cousin of Issei suddenly felt a chill in the house.

'I don't know why, but Lilith seems darker. The last time I saw her, she seemed to act like a regular little child. But now, just by looking at her, I can't help but feel unsafe around her.'

"Lilith," Ophis began, "Why are you back in our mate's house?"

Lilith tilted her head, her ringed eyes going over to Leiko, whose eyes widened a little in wariness. Narrowing her eyes slightly, Ophis walked over to her clone.

"Lilith. Return within me. We, shall have a talk within my own subconscious."

Ophis noticed that Lilth's eyes seemed to have no traces of light within them. Nevertheless, Lilith converted herself into to a form of energy, and merged herself with Ophis. Feeling the presence of Lilith, Ophis closed her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Ophis's Subconscious<strong>

There was only nothingness within the mind of the Ouroboros Dragon. Although she had thoughts and processes like most of the beings in the Universe, there would always be nothingness within the Infinite Dragon God.

As Ophis floated around within her subconscious, she spotted Lilith encased within a pyramid shield. She tilted her head when she noticed that Lilith was now in the form the Ouroboros Dragon took when she first met Issei.

Titling her head again, Ophis sent her clone her usual emotionless look.

"Lilith."

At the call of her name, Lilith looked up at her progenitor. Ophis' eyes widened just slightly when she noticed that Lilith's eyes were no longer ringed. In fact, the clone of the Ouroboros Dragon's eyes were lighter than they had ever been. She also seemed to be…frightened.

"Lilith?"

"Original. I, am frightened."

The Ouroboros Dragon rose an eyebrow in an expression akin to confusion.

"Frightened? What do you mean?"

Lilith's eyes seemed to take on a more child-like look as she placed her small hands on the pyramid shield.

"It, is scary out there." The clone said in a soft and innocent voice.

The Infinite Dragon God was genuinely confused right now. It seemed that Lilith was back to the original personality she had when Ophis had first introduced her to Issei.

"You, are frightened outside? Why?" Ophis asked as she tilted her head.

Lilith's eyes seemed to tremble, and she removed her small hands off the pyramid.

"When I am outside," The clone began as her face grew into a pout. "I, get scary thoughts."

"…I, am confused." Ophis stated as she looked at her clone curiously.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's SubconsciousInner World**

"Uhh…"

Issei clutched his head as he looked around to see that he was in his Inner World. Laid upon the ground, Issei looked up to see an unfamiliar person looking down at him.

It was a very beautiful and well-endowed golden-eyed black-haired pale-skinned girl with a large bust and voluptuous figure. Issei noticed that the girl's golden eyes seemed to have reptilian traits, and that the girl was completely naked.

Despite attempting to get up, the lightning bolt from Susanoo seemed to have a delayed effect than Issei had anticipated. He was finding it hard to keep himself from falling unconscious again.

The girl slowly tilted her head all the way to the side, her neck making an eerie cracking sound. Her reptilian eyes widening slightly, the girl opened her mouth, revealing a full set of sharp fangs.

Rolling her long tongue around her mouth, the girl went to bite down onto the boy laying below her, until a crimson energy blast was sent her way. Hissing and narrowing her eyes darkly, the girl evaded the blast from the unknown figure.

Regaining her balance, the girl hissed once more at the creature gliding towards Issei. Her reptilian eyes narrowed almost menacingly.

His eyes opening once more, Issei looked up to see a large Dragon with red scales and piercing green eyes.

"D-Ddraig…"

Ddraig scoffed as he looked down at Issei.

**{Look at yourself, baka. You almost got yourself killed by lying on the ground like a motionless target.}**

Grunting, Issei felt himself lift up as Ddraig used his claw to help him up. Wincing at the pain, Issei looked down, and his eyes widened.

"What the?!"

**{Yeah I imagined you're surprised. You got a hole in your chest. Courtesy of that damn uncle of yours.}**

"I don't understand any of this!"

"Why it's simple, my dear nephew."

Widening his eyes, Issei looked up to see the God of seas and storms himself, floating above a nearby skyscraper.

"You?! What are you doing here in my inner world?!"

Smirking darkly in amusement, Susanoo pointed to the girl who stared at Issei with a wide-eyed spooky look on her face.

"I wasn't lying when I said that I wanted my sword back. And with the mindless soul of the Yamata-no-Orochi itself, I'll make true to that wish."

Issei widened his eyes as he looked over at the girl.

"Yamata-no-Orochi?! Ddraig, what's he talking about?!"

With a crimson aura flowing around him, Ddraig grunted as he glared at the Yamata no Orochi. Sensing the hostility from the Welsh Dragon, the girl growled as she began to morph.

The next moments Issei would experience, would be something that he would never be able to take back. The girl cried out as her body began to change into a monstrous visage. Her legs morphed into a long tail, and seven more heads protruded from her neck. The heads seemed to have the appearance of snakes. The monster grew to a colossal size as it towered over the skyscrapers.

Issei stared in awe at the monster in front of him, while Ddraig glared at the abomination. Smiling widely, Susanoo moved his attention back to Issei.

"This creature is the Yamata no Orochi. It was the monster that I destroyed with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. However it seemed that Orochi wasn't as dumb as I originally thought. Before I destroyed it, the Orochi had managed to seal a portion of its own soul inside the sword. Humph, what a foolish thing to do. The portion of its soul is but a mindless version of the original. It only obeys to me."

He then smiled as he looked over at Ddraig, who glowered back at him.

"Red Dragon Emperor. It's been a long time."

**{Quit the pleasantries.}**

"Humph. I guess trying to suppress the Yamata no Orochi from your host is putting you into a bad mood."

The Yamata-no-Orochi let out a roar as Issei's subconscious shook from the tremors. Looking over at Issei, Ddraig narrowed his eyes.

**{Partner, are you all right?}**

"…"

**{Partner!}**

Gritting his teeth, Issei let out a grunt as he transformed into his Super Solar state. Seeing his nephew transform, Susanoo let out a great laugh.

"This is absolutely great! The Red Dragon Emperor and the son of Amaterasu fighting together!"

Looking over at the Yamata no Orochi, Susanoo crossed his arms.

"It is just as I said, son of Amaterasu. Sure as the sun will rise…the battles…shall continue."


	9. A Deadly Presence

**Takamagahara**

On the land of Takamagahara, Amaterasu sat in the fields of her home. She had a forlorned expression on her face as she looked all around her.

'My little Issei...' She moaned in her head sadly.

"Amaterasu-omikami."

At the call, Amaterasu lifted her head up and widened her eyes to see a man wearing Japanese clothes that featured the symbols of the moon.

"Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. What're you doing here?"

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, the god of the moon, glared at his sister. Similar to the relationship between Amaterasu and Susanoo, Tsukuyomi's relationship with his sister was not friendly at all. Originally residing with Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi angered his sister by murdering the goddess of food.

Sent by Amaterasu to represent her at a feast, Tsukuyomi was disgusted to find out that the way Uke Mochi, the goddess of food, prepared her meals, was less than desirable. As a result, he killed her. After Amaterasu learned what her brother had done, she refused to never look at him again, choosing to move another part of the sky.

"Please, you know why I am here." Tsukuyomi scoffed as he stared at his sister with distaste. "Don't be so naïve, sister. I do not like this…'tradition' we perform every year, but we have to join the Sun and the Moon together. It is essentially our routine."

"Why are you so eager, Tsukuyomi?" Amaterasu asked with a suspicious tone, "You have never been this eager before.

"Because I would like to get this over as soon as possible. The sooner we combine the Moon and the Sun, the better."

"…Very well." Amaterasu assented as she got up.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Leiko sighed as she watched Ophis sit on the couch. She had to admit, she was feeling worried for her cousin. She was also worried about Lilith. Despite only recently meeting the clone of Ophis, she had grown an attachment to her.

Great Red was quiet for a change as he looked at his 'sister'. He too was worried for Lilith. Despite her being a constant pain in his ass, he grew to care for her just like any older brother would do for his little sister.

Leiko looked up and her eyes widened.

"Hey."

At the sound of Leiko's voice, Great Red lifted his head up.

"What?"

"The Moon's moving towards the Sun. I think it's a Solar Eclipse."

"…Humph."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

With a great bellow, the Yamata-no-Orochi charged towards Ddraig. Narrowing his eyes, the Red Dragon Emperor formed a pool of energy around his body, speeding towards the Orochi. As soon as they came in contact, a clash of energy emitted in Issei's inner world.

Staring at the two creatures sealed within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, Issei turned his attention to his uncle, who was looking proud of himself. As he looked at his uncle, he noticed there was a hole in his stomach.

The young man frowned as he looked at his own chest. The hole in his chest remained open. Widening his eyes in confusion, Issei flared out his aura, in an attempt to regenerate his chest. However, his chest wasn't sealing up. The hole wasn't closing in at all.

'What's going on?!'

Susanoo smirked as he looked at the confused look on his nephew's face.

'Everything is going according to plan. Soon the son of Amaterasu will be finished! And the best part is, I don't even have to try. I'll leave that honor to the god of the Moon. My brother.'

Looking over at the Orochi, Susanoo crossed his arms.

"Nephew, do you know about the legend of the Yamata-no-Orochi?"

"…"

"Humph. Since you're obviously too stunned from looking at the hole in your chest, allow me to tell you the story."

Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Issei removed his attention from the hole in his chest to his uncle.

"After I was banished from Takamagahara, I encountered an elderly couple and their daughter. Oh, how I remember that day. Their daughter was named Kushinada-hime. The girl was supposed to be a sacrifice to the creature that is battling the Red Dragon Emperor as we speak."

Issei widened his eyes a little at the revelation.

'Sacrifice?'

"Originally, that couple had eight daughters, however each year the Yamato-no-Orochi would come in and devour them one by one, until Kushinada-hime was left. So obviously that meant she would be the next daughter and sacrifice to the Orochi. In order to keep her safe, I transformed her into a comb for safekeeping."

"GUAHHH!"

"GRAHHHHH!"

Issei turned around to see Ddraig growling at the Yamata-no-Orochi, who hissed and snarled back in response. The Red Dragon Emperor's body was glowing with a dark-crimson aura, his body releasing a large sum of power. Covering the Yamata-no-Orochi's body was a vast pool of black energy that surrounded the snakes.

"Humph," Susanoo scoffed as he watched the fight. "It looks like the Welsh Dragon is having a bit of trouble fighting the Orochi."

His scowl changing into a smirk, Susanoo turned his attention to his nephew.

"After I changed Kushinada-hime into a comb, I told the elderly couple to brew sake, and then build a fence around their house with eight large gates. I also made them build a platform and vat just inside each gate. We all waited, and eventually the Yamata-no-Orochi couldn't resist the scent of sake. As all Shinto Gods know, serpents all love sake. So all of its eight heads dove into the sake, and became intoxicated as a result. And that was when I attacked with my original sword. However, my sword broke when it touched the middle tail and its flesh. That was when I found the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, my nephew."

Issei narrowed his eyes at Susanoo's explanation.

'So that's how he got the sword. Why am I not surprised?'

"Although," Susanoo began as he looked almost grudgingly proud at the soul of the Yamata-no-Orochi, "I'm surprised the Orochi had sealed a portion of its own soul within the sword before I killed it. But what it didn't count on, was that the portion of its soul would be but a mindless creature. I must say, I did not expect such a conundrum."

"Why are you telling me all this? You said you wanted to fight me."

"Oh, but I did. I did fight you. Taking you into your own inner world was all part of my plan. I told you that I wanted to reclaim the sword back, and I have every intention of doing so. Without you as an obstacle."

Issei rose an eyebrow.

"Without me in the way? You're in my inner world. And what do you mean you planned this?"

Susanoo's smirk widened to extreme proportions, and he looked up at the sky of his nephew's inner world.

"Your mother was always such a whiny goddess. She's the sole reason I was banished from Takamagahara, all because I messed up her belongings. I swear, I should've just killed her myself if I had the chance."

He looked down to see his nephew's solar aura flaring in response, but then it suddenly dimmed.

'Ah, the eclipse is near. Just as I planned.' Susanoo thought as he looked back up at the sky.

"You see, Issei," Susanoo began, "the Sun is one of the most powerful primordial sources of energy in the Universe. However, even as it grants life, it does have a weakness. If Amaterasu were to hide herself, then the Sun would lost its vitality. However, there is also another way for the Sun to become weak."

Issei widened his eyes at the new information, while his uncle sent him a smug smile.

"A solar eclipse!"

'Solar Eclipse?!'

Susanoo smiled in sadistic glee as he watched the confused look on his nephew's face.

"You do know what a Solar Eclipse is, right?"

"…"

"Humph. The total solar eclipse is when the moon completely conceals the solar surface or photosphere from the Sun itself. Due to the moon covering the radiation of the Sun, it cuts off all direct rays of sunlight. Do you know what that means?"

"?!"

"That means you can't absorb any traces of Solar Energy from the Sun. Without the Sun to supply you with virtually limitless Solar Energy, you will eventually burn out."

Issei gasped at the revelation. Susanoo chuckled darkly at his nephew, relishing at the look of despair on his face.

"It's ironic. The Sun, the primordial source of energy is what gave birth to you, but it will also serve as your death."

Remaining silent, Issei looked down at the hole in his chest.

"That's why you can't regenerate anymore. Your Solar Energy is depleting by the second we stand here in your inner world."

Issei lifted his hand up and clenched his fist. He could feel his power decreasing, but that wasn't worrying him. What worried him, was what Susanoo was going to do after all of this was over. What would he do next? Would he go after his family? Leiko, Ophis, Great Red, Lilith? And hell, even Amaterasu?

"You will…die here, Issei." Susanoo said in a menacing voice.

Death was something Issei had never dawned upon in a complex manner. Whenever he did think about it, he always contrasted it with Ophis' original home, the Dimensional Gap. Ophis was the Nothingness of Infinity. Death was not the same as Nothingness.

Looking up at his uncle, Issei gave him a determined glare.

"If I'm going to die, then the only thing I have to do," Issei began as he lifted his finger towards Susanoo, "Is stop you."

"What? Stop me? Please, you're growing weak as we speak. There's nothing you can do." Susanoo gloated.

Issei's Super Solar aura began to fade away, until it reanimated itself once more. He could feel himself growing weak, but he couldn't allow himself to fall just yet.

Narrowing his eyes, Issei bolted towards his uncle, who smirked widely and charged at him in a great burst of speed.

* * *

><p><strong>Ddraig vs Yamata-no-Orochi<strong>

The Red Dragon Emperor and the Eight-Forked Serpent growled at each other, as they shot vast energy blasts towards each other. Ddraig's crimson blast shot towards Orochi's black energy blast, causing them to collide into a bright flash beam struggle.

The Red Dragon Emperor narrowed his eyes darkly.

**{Goddamn it! The fact that its clone is mindless makes it even more dangerous!}**

Charging more power into his crimson energy blast, Ddraig was able to overpower the Orochi's beam. The Orochi growled once more and charged at Ddraig. Ddraig gritted his teeth as he held the serpent back. He grunted as he noticed that the Orochi's golden reptilian eyes were showing no traces of sanity.

"HAH! You're weak, my nephew! Just like the Orochi I destroyed all those years ago!"

Ddriag widened his eyes and turned to look at Susanoo, who grinned widely as he nearly dodged another punch from Issei. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Ddraig turned around to look back at the Orochi, and then he stopped.

The Orochi stopped in its attempt to kill Ddraig, and stared at the fight between Susanoo and Issei. Its gaze was directly on the storm God, its stare almost hypnotic. Suddenly, its eyes started to gain a glowing red color.

Raising an eye-ridge in confusion, Ddraig widened his eyes when the Yamata-no-Orochi soared past him and sped towards Susanoo and Issei.

**{…What the hell?}**

* * *

><p><strong>Issei vs Susanoo<strong>

Issei vigorously sent Susanoo a flurry of punches and kicks. His movements were growing sluggish, but he couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop. He had to stop Susanoo from going through with his plans.

"You're wasting your time, nephew," Susanoo bragged as he dodged another punch from Issei. "Just surrender and die within your own mind. After the Orochi defeats the Welsh Dragon, I'll take the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, and lead the Khaos Brigade on to defeat the most powerful existences!"

Feeling his anger surge, Issei reared his fist back and sent Susanoo a punch to the face. Susanoo widened his eyes a little at the pain.

"Well, it seems that you have some fight left within you." Susanoo said as he summoned up a lightning bolt spear.

He then looked to see Issei glaring at him fiercely. In his hand, was the fang of Fenrir.

"Are we really going to do this whole scene again, nephew? Just quit already!" Susanoo yelled out as he went to stab his nephew.

Gritting his teeth, Issei moved out-of-the-way of Susanoo's direction, causing the storm God to miss him. Narrowing his eyes, Issei plunged Fenrir's fang in Susanoo's stomach.

"AHH! You little bra-!"

Before Susanoo could shout out his disdain, he suddenly felt his neck constrict. His eyes widening to small pupils, Susanoo looked up to see the Yamata-no-Orochi hissing at him.

"Y-YOU?! What are you doing?!" Susanoo demanded as he tried to pry the snakes off of him. "You WILL obey me! Do you understa-!"

The Orochi cut Susanoo off once more as it tightened the other snakes around his neck. It then stopped as it heard heavy breathing. Lifting its head up, the Orochi saw Issei touching the hole in his chest, his Super Solar aura fading away, causing him to revert into his normal form.

The Yamata-no-Orochi tilted its head as it saw Issei suddenly fall onto the ground, causing a thud to echo throughout the inner world. Tilting its head again, the Orochi looked at Susanoo to see a bloody fang in his stomach. It then looked at Issei's bloody hand.

The portion of the Yamata-no-Orochi's soul was in a sense, mindless. When it first grew within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, it only focused on trying to survive. It grew frightened as it sensed numerous energies outside of the sword. After the other creature had been sealed in the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the Orochi was irritated and frightened.

It was afraid that Ddraig was going to kill it, so the Orochi constantly tried to drive Ddraig out. But the Welsh Dragon constantly suppressed it, causing it to grow increasingly insane.

When it first saw the storm God, the Orochi felt frightened of him for some reason. It couldn't understand why, but it felt wary of Susanoo. The storm God threatened the Orochi to obey him, so in order to ensure its survival, it would listen to him.

Then it came across the boy that had just collapsed onto the ground. The boy it had almost tried to consume, due to Susanoo's orders. The boy seemed different from Susanoo. The Orochi didn't perceive Issei as a threat at all. That was why it tried to eat him in the first place.

However, as it spotted the drops of blood from Susanoo and Issei's hand containing the blood, it felt…sentience. The boy had just attacked the God who had threatened it into submission. Even if he didn't intend to do so, the boy, in a way, saved the Orochi.

"You will release me! Release me or I'll kill you just like I did with your original!"

Its attention back to the storm God, The Yamata-no-Orochi turned its head menacingly, and sent Susnaoo a deep and frightening growl. Gritting his teeth, Susanoo went to summon a lightning bolt spear, until the Orochi suddenly bit down onto the arm.

"GUAHHHHH!"

Susanoo screamed as he felt his arm being consumed from the Orochi. Growling darkly, the Orochi sent its snakes to attack the screaming storm God. Yelling in intense pain at the snakes eating him, Susanoo felt his consciousness leave him, as he was consumed by the very monster he had killed long ago.

Feeling extremely cold and back to his normal state, Issei's eyes were hollow as he looked up at his uncle's death. Feeling his eyes growing heavy, Issei almost missed the Yamata-no-Orochi gliding towards him.

Tilting its head at Issei, the Orochi's body glowed as it began to take a shape. The snakes from its neck disappearing, the Yamata-no-Orochi morphed into the form it took when it had come in contact with Issei. It was the form of a black-haired, reptilian golden-eyed girl with a voluptuous body. Since its progenitor had no clothes, the Orochi didn't think to make any type of covering for itself.

The Orochi tilted her head to the side, looking down at Issei with an unreadable look on her face. Looking up at the Orochi, Issei sent her a bitter smile.

"I guess…you hated that guy too, right?"

The Orochi didn't respond. She had no knowledge of how to speak, so she didn't bother to speak. As she looked at Issei with her reptilian eyes, the Orochi merely stood there.

Noticing her lack of response, Issei removed his attention from her and looked up at the sky.

**{PARTNER!}**

Issei looked over to see Ddraig gliding towards him. The Welsh Dragon's massive form towered over Issei. His green eyes showing worry, Ddraig went to lift Issei up, until Issei spoke.

"No…"

**{What?!}**

"…Just let me stay here."

**{What the hell are you talking about, partner?!}**

Issei smiled as he slowly blinked.

"I don't want my family to get hurt, Ddraig. Ever since people could sense my power, I've attracted so much trouble. People have wanted to fight me, and as a result, most of the people I know have been their targets. It's all because of me."

**{What the hell are you saying?!}**

"I'm saying…I don't deserve to live."

Ddraig suddenly sent a sharp slap to Issei's face. The sound of the slap echoed throughout the inner world of Issei.

**{Partner! DON"T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT!}**

"…"

**{How can you say you don't deserve to live?!}**

"…"

**{ISSEI!}**

Issei continued to smile as he felt his eyes close slowly.

**{ISSEIIIIIIII!}**

As his eyes started to close for the last time, Issei was able to spot the Yamata-no-Orochi tilting her head.

**[…Isssssei.]** She said in a hissing voice.

* * *

><p>"Hey. Wake up."<p>

Brown and orange-yellow eyes opened slowly, until they cleared. The young man lifted his head up as he looked around his surroundings.

There was nothingness. The area around him was completely pitch-black. It was nothing like the Dimensional Gap at all. It was almost suffocating.

"Hey. Over here."

At the sound of the voice, the young man turned and he scooted backwards. Standing in front of him was a tall skeleton clad in a dark-black hood. The image creeped him out greatly.

"W-where am I?" The young man asked frantically.

"What do you think?" The hooded skeleton asked sarcastically. "You're in Death's domain."

"The domain of Death?" The young man said as he tried to lift himself up. "I heard that when people died, they either went to Heaven or Hell."

"The realm of Death is far different from the realm of Heaven and the Underworld."

The young man rose an eyebrow at the cryptic tone of the skeleton.

"Who are you? Are you like a Grim Reaper or something?"

"Humph. Don't be so cliché. I'm something much worse. I'm more than just a mere Grim Reaper. I am merely showing you my true form because you really intrigue me."

"…I-I intrigue you?"

"Must you repeat my statements?" The skeleton stated in annoyance before its body began to glow.

The young man widened his eyes in confusion as he saw the being start to take another form. The shape slowly formed into a far different incarnation.

In front of the young man, was now a woman with night-black hair. Her skin was as pale as the moon, her lips glistening within the darkness. Her curvaceous hips were covered by a dark-black robe, her well-endowed figure hidden away.

The young man rose an eyebrow in great curiosity, until he widened his eyes to see that there was a scythe in the woman's hand. Taking a step back, the young man widened his eyes further when he saw that the woman was staring at him with an unreadable gaze.

"You are a very interesting creature." The woman remarked in a dark yet sensual voice.

"Who are you?" The young man asked cautiously.

"_I_ am the void that all mortals fear. I am the one that ceases every existence within this Universe. I, my dear, am…"

The young man took a step back as the woman started to smile.

"**Death** itself. And you have become the center of my interest, _little godling_." Death finished.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

Leiko rose an eyebrow in curiosity as she looked out the window.

"Hmm. It's rare for a Total Solar Eclipse to emerge. Really rare."

"What do you find so damn fascinating about it?" Great Red asked in his usual gruff voice.

Staring at the moon-covered Sun, Leiko sighed and shrugged.

"It looks very beautiful. That's why it's rare, in my opinion."

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Great Red scoffed and looked over to Ophis, who still had her eyes closed.

'Lilith. What happened to you?'

* * *

><p><strong>Ophis' Subconscious<strong>

Ophis' eyes were widened with an expression akin to great confusion as she stared at her clone. Compared to the behavior she displayed outside, Lilith seemed to act like a little child. A frightened child.

"You, have frightening thoughts?"

"...Yes." Lilith answered quietly.

Ophis didn't know what to think. She knew her feelings and emotions towards Issei had grown to the point of affection of love. She was also aware that Lilith was born out of the other aspects of her personality.

'Is my clone the embodiment of my obsession towards Issei? My jealousy? The dark aspect of my affection?'

It would explain why Lilith had been acting strange outside. As she began to draw on more of Ophis' negative emotions, her childish personality began to change into something far more unsettling.

The Ouroboros Dragon's eyes softened as she looked down at her clone. Closing her dark-gray eyes, Ophis' body began to glow, before the glowing energy manifested and surrounded around Lilith.

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of Ophis' Subconscious<strong>

Ophis opened her eyes, and she let out a deep breath. At the sound of Ophis, Great Red and Leiko turned to face her.

"Hmm, it took you long enough." Great Red said.

Glaring at Red for his behavior, Leiko looked at Ophis with a soft frown.

"How's Lilith? Is she doing all right?"

Setting her eyes to Leiko, the Infinite Dragon God offered her a small smile.

"Yes. She is fine."

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of DeathDeath's Domain**

The aspect of Death was something Issei never thought about thoroughly. He assumed that when a person passed, they would either go to Heaven or Hell. It never dawned upon him that there was another realm.

As he looked around the pitch-black space of nothingness, Issei looked back to the beautiful woman who proclaimed herself as Death.

Death kept her stare fixed upon the young man in front of her. As with most primordial entities, Death could sense all of the many sources of energy signatures throughout the Universe. After all, it was the embodiment of the end of life. It was born along with the Universe, and represented destruction and decay.

"You seem calm for someone whose life has just come to an end." Death noted as she looked at Issei.

Removing his attention from Death, Issei looked all around his surroundings. Smiling at Issei's lack of response, Death looked up to see a series of floating figures gliding across the black space.

"Do you see them, my dear?" Death asked. "Those are the lost souls that pass on when their lives end. Those lost souls belong to me."

Issei widened his eyes to see that he was suddenly surrounded by a large crowd of spirits. Amused by the shocked look on Issei's face, Death lifted her hand and waved it. At Death's order, the spirits surrounded Issei, sped away from him.

"What did you do?" Issei asked in curiosity.

"Simple. I called them away from you. Once a soul passes into my realm, they lose their traces of sanity, forced to consume the next soul that passes into my domain."

Issei shuddered a little by Death's explanation. Death tilted her head in curiosity, and sauntered over to the young man, who stood cautiously.

"So, my dear," Death began as she placed her hands on Issei's cheeks, "Do you understand why you are in my domain and not in the realm of Heaven or the Underworld?"

Issei didn't open his mouth. Not because he didn't want to answer the end of all existence. It was because he was honestly trying to figure out why he was in Death's domain. Despite not being the obvious race, Issei was by no means an Angel, a Devil, or a Fallen Angel. He wasn't a saint, but he wasn't a demon.

The young man inwardly shuddered at the chill feeling of Death's cold hands. Looking up at the female aspect of destruction, Issei tried to put caution into his words.

"I guess...I deserved to die."

Death tilted her head again, her soulless black eyes peering into Issei's eyes.

"You truly are a strange creature. Interesting, but strange." Death amended.

Issei widened his eyes in confusion, prompting Death to smile and let go of his cheeks.

"If I'm dead," Issei began as he looked down to see the hole in his chest, "then why am I still here?"

"Because your task hasn't been complete yet."

"What task?"

Death held up the hand which contained her scythe, and brought it down in front of Issei. His eyes widening further, Issei looked into his reflection, his image suddenly morphing into a familiar Goddess.

"Son of Amaterasu, your mother brought you into this world for a purpose. Even if her reasons for abandoning you and sending you to Earth were unjustified, she created you for a good cause."

"..."

"In case something were to happen to her, then it was assured that you would be able to protect the Earth. And quite possibly, the Universe."

Looking up at Death with an unreadable look on his face, Issei remained where he was.

"If my mother created me to be some kind of...'Earth messiah', then the fact that I'm in your domain, says differently. I'm not a hero at all. I've killed and injured most of the beings on Earth."

"Yes," Death began as she removed her scythe from Issei's sight, "But all of those 'beings' you fought against had wronged against you. Some of them even threatened you and your family."

"...I don't deserve to live. So why am I still here?"

"The reason you perished was because of the merging between the Sun and the Moon. When the Moon covers the Sun, the rays of Solar Energy is cut off completely."

"So that's what Susanoo meant."

"Because Amaterasu created you using her own energy, along with the energy of the primordial Sun, you were affected as well. When the Moon cut off the Sun's rays of Solar Energy, you were unable to absorb any more."

"So why am I here?"

"You have another attribute that is preventing your soul from being consumed. Tell me, my dear. Do you remember your battle with Riser Phenex?"

At the name of the first being he had killed, Issei widened his eyes.

"?!"

"Well I suppose I'll take your response as a yes." Death droned as her eyes narrowed. "During your battle with him, you achieved the first evolution of your Solar form. When he started to fight seriously and attacked you with his blazes, you absorbed them."

"..."

"Not only did that give you the attributes of the legendary Phoenix, but it also granted you another Solar transformation composed of the mystic flames of Hell itself."

"So the reason I'm still here is because of the Phoenix?"

"Precisely."

Issei looked at himself, still trying to figure out how he was still here. Death smiled in amusement at the look on Issei's face.

"Do you know what this means?"

Issei shook his head in response.

"Hmm. You are neither dead nor alive."

"I'm not following you." Issei said in confusion.

"Little godling," Death cooed as she placed her hand on Issei's left cheek, "You are now an embodiment of Life and Death. A celestial being."

"?!"

Issei widened his eyes in shock. He widened them further when he felt Death's cold yet moist lips on his cheek. Immediately after, a luminous circle appeared above Issei's head.

"Is this-?"

"Yes, my dear." Death began with a smile, "This is a halo of sorts."

"But I'm not an Angel."

"I'm aware of that. That halo is a symbol."

"A symbol of what exactly?" Issei asked in nervousness.

"Hmm." Death hummed as her smile widened. "It's to ensure that you are kept in my sights."

Issei blinked several times in confusion, and tapped the halo on top of his head in curiosity.

Chuckling in amusement, Death turned around when she felt a familiar energy signature. It was one of the energy signatures that perished when Issei first obtained the first evolution of his Solar form.

"Son of Amaterasu. There is someone who would like to see you. And he knows you quite well."

Issei rose an eyebrow in confusion. Chances are, it couldn't be Susanoo. His uncle's soul should have been consumed already. So who was this person?

Moving out of Issei's peripheral vision, Death smiled as she heard the person float behind her. Looking at the person, Issei widened his eyes in absolute shock. Out of all of the beings he had come in contact with, he never would have expected to see this being again.

The person next to Death looked up tiredly at Issei, his expression showing nothing but despair. The man appeared as though he had fallen into a slump.

"...Issei Hyoudou."

"I-it's you!" Issei exclaimed in confusion and shock.

* * *

><p><strong>The Dimensional Gap<strong>

As the silence prevailed within the Dimensional Gap, so was the area around it. Without the Apocalypse Dragon or the Ouroboros Dragon to occupy themselves within the space, the Dimensional Gap was but an empty area.

However, despite its quietness, there was something floating around the Dimensional Gap. It appeared to be a sword of sorts. Its blade glowed and dimmed with dark-crimson energy. Occasionally a pool of deep black energy would manifest and surround the sword as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Within the Seals of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi<strong>

Much similar to the Dimensional Gap, the boundaries of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi were empty as well. There were no boundaries within the space, the area spaceless with nothingness.

Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor, was quiet as he floated. His facial expression, normally calm and composed, or battle-hardened as he was in his human form, was somber. It appeared as though he was in the state of melancholy. His expression never changed, his colossal body immobile. It was as though he was frozen.

A girl who appeared to be in her late teens, merely floated aimlessly, her black hair waving behind her. Unlike Ddraig, the girl didn't show any signs of emotion. Her reptilian golden eyes were half-lidded, her face showing no expression. Occasionally, she would turn her head to look at the Welsh Dragon, with no response from given to her.

As the girl tilted her head, she suddenly felt something prod within her mind. It was something she had gained when the boy disappeared from his inner world. Thoughts. Before she had killed Susanoo, her thoughts ranged from trying to survive, to driving out the Welsh Dragon. But now, her thoughts consisted of...

**[Isssssei.]** The girl hissed in her thoughts in a monotone.

That was the boy's name. The boy she had attacked when he appeared in front of her in the inner world for the first time. Even when ordered to eat Issei upon Susanoo's orders, the sight of Issei influenced the girl's thoughts.

As soon as Susanoo had screamed his boast of killing the Yamata-no-Orochi, a foreign emotion suddenly emerged within the girl. Her next instinct, was to attack Susanoo. She no longer felt fear towards Susanoo. All she could think about, was trying to kill the storm God.

Eventually she succeeded, but not without the help of that boy.

**[Issssei.]**

Before she fatally attacked Susanoo, that boy had managed to stab him with an extremely sharp fang. With Susanoo distracted, that allowed the girl to constrict and kill him, ending her rule over her.

After making sure the storm God was gone, the girl didn't know what to feel. Her thoughts of attacking the Welsh Dragon had long ago faded away. Her thoughts unclear, the girl chose to fly down to the boy laid upon the ground. She remembered seeing him smile almost sadly at her. She remembered what he said to her. Despite understanding what he said, she did not know how to speak, so she remained quiet.

Shortly, the Welsh Dragon had glided over to the boy, and tried to help him. But much to their mutual surprise, the boy stated that he didn't want to be helped. He wanted to stay in his inner world.

Seconds later, the inner world began to crumble apart, and the boy's body began to fade away. After spending her few moments of looking at the Welsh Dragon trying to reach for the boy, the girl was suddenly pulled out of the boy's inner world.

And now, here she was. Trapped with the Red Dragon Emperor. The same being she had fought to drive out of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Tilting her head, the girl floated over to the Welsh Dragon, who remained where he was. His green eyes floating up to the girl, Ddraig narrowed his eyes slightly.

**{...What do you want?}**

The girl kept her reptilian eyes on the Welsh Dragon, her expression showing no traces of feeling. Ddraig kept his moody and annoyed expression on the girl. Tilting her head again, the girl opened her mouth, revealing her tongue in a rolled up position.

Ddriag silently rose his head up in confusion. His unstated question was answered, when the girl unfolded her tongue, revealing the bloodied fang of Fenrir itself. Ddraig widened his eyes in shock, while the girl picked the fang up from her tongue, and held it up to the Welsh Dragon's vision.

**[Isssssssei.]**

**{Humph. Yeah. He was a good host. Hell, he was my only host.}**

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

"Riser..."

Riser Phenex remained still as he looked into the eyes of the one who ended his life.

For a long time, the Phenex Devil had been trapped in the depths of Death's Domain, forced to wander endlessly. Over time his thought process began to deteriorate, to the point that he could no longer think clearly.

Due to him being a Devil that possessed the attributes of a Phoenix, Riser's regeneration prevented him from becoming a disembodied soul. When the lost souls fed on him, his body instantly regenerated.

Lifting his head, Riser's eyes seemed to clear as he saw Issei.

"It's been awhile. Issei Hyoudou."

He could tell by the look on Issei's face that the young man was shocked to see him. In truth, Riser was a little shocked to see Issei in Death's domain as well. When he saw Issei's body materialize in the domain, Riser was greatly surprised. He was also a little surprised to see that Death had taken a great interest in Issei.

To say Issei was surprised would be the understatement of the year.

Death, deciphering that the situation between the two was awkward, put in her two cents in an attempt to soothe the tension.

"You were not expecting this encounter, were you Darling?" Death asked Issei.

Issei couldn't respond. He didn't even know what to say. It's been so long since he has seen the man standing in front of him. He remembered the blonde hair and dark blue eyes, the red blazer, and the energy signature.

His shocked expression fading into a serious look, Issei tried to relax himself. He wanted to say something, but nothing came out. He could see that Riser looked like he didn't have anything to say either.

"How are the girls?" Riser finally asked in an attempt to start a conversation.

"They're fine," Issei answered as he knew who Riser was talking about, "They're still living at the mansion."

"And my sister?"

Issei frowned before he thought of his answer. He hadn't really spent a lot of time at the Phenex mansion to get to know all of the girls. Xuelan, and recently Siris, were the only girls he had come in contact with. He was not familiar with Ravel Phenex or the other girls.

"I haven't spent a lot of time with the girls, but your sister is still at the mansion. As far as I'm concerned, she's safe with the other girls."

"...I see." Riser said as he nodded.

The two young men then went completely silent. One of them expected the other to be extremely angry at the other. However, the expected reactions between the two of them, never came. They merely stared at each other.

"Issei Hyoudou. I've wronged against you."

Issei widened his eyes in response, while Riser's expression remained serious.

"When I first sensed your power, I was paranoid. I was paranoid because your power derived from the Sun. The Phoenix's powers are akin to that of the Sun. That's why I wanted to see how powerful you were."

"..."

"I asked Sirzechs-sama and my father for permission to fight you, under the pretenses of a bet. My peerage and I were able to sense your energy. That's how they were able to track you down and...take your cousin hostage."

"..."

"I shouldn't have committed those acts, Issei Hyoudou. I let my arrogance and irrationality get the better of me."

"...I didn't enjoy it."

Riser widened his eyes a little at Issei's response. The young man fixed Riser with a frown, but it seemed to be softening.

"I didn't enjoy it when I killed you. When I transformed for the first time, the anger I suppressed over the years had finally been released. You were the one who released all of that anger, Riser."

"..."

"The truth is...killing you was probably one of the worst things I've done since I've been born into this world. In my head, I thought it was the right thing to do. But I didn't enjoy it. I never did."

"Hmm," Death hummed as she looked over to Issei, "You say that Riser Phenex was the one who released all of that anger. However, I still sense a lingering amount of rage within you."

"..."

"You've suppressed so much anger when you were a child, only for Riser Phenex to summon it all out. There is still a lot of anger left within you, Issei."

"Even if someone's anger is lessened", Issei began as he frowned, "It could still come back. No one can feel positive or happy all the time."

"That's true, Darling. However, if one is angry all the time, then that becomes their downfall. You achieved your first and second evolution of Solar Energy, by fueling yourself with rage. Due to your rage, your energy often fluctuated because of that."

"Are you saying you want me to get rid of my rage?" Issei asked in confusion.

"In simpler terms, yes."

"But anger can't be destroyed. Chances are, it'll come back eventually."

"That's true. But anger is one of the basic emotions in behavioral aspects. There are a number of ways to control anger, Issei. The way you have been doing so, is suppressing it. That's not a good thing. The longer you suppress your rage, the more poisonous it becomes."

"...No one can be happy all the time."

"Of course not," Death waved the comment off, "But that isn't what I'm saying. I'm saying that there are ways to control your anger in a positive manner."

This time Issei widened his eyes in confusion.

"How so?"

* * *

><p>Issei had the strangest feeling that Death was trying to get him killed or something. Death had convinced him to follow her procedure on how to convert his anger into a more positive approach.<p>

The problem was, the situation he was in wasn't positive at all. Not even in the slightest. The young man found himself in another section of Death's Domain, where a large crowd of lost souls were floating around endlessly. He also discovered that he was encased within a shield that prevented him from escaping the lost souls.

Either Death really was trying to kill him, or 'she' had a weird and twisted way of expressing her affection for him.

'Probably both.' Issei thought dryly.

Issei found that he could move around while he was encased within the shield. As he looked around his surroundings, he spotted Death and Riser floating above him.

"What is this?" Issei shouted up to Death.

The embodiment of decay and destruction smiled as she answered back.

"This is your test, Darling!" Death shouted.

'Test?' Issei thought questioningly.

Turning back around to face the lost souls, Issei widened his eyes to see that they were closing in on him. He remembered Death stating that the lost souls has no traces of sanity left. They were forced to consume the next soul that entered through Death's Domain.

Now they were coming towards him. To eat him.

'Joy.'

Issei thought about his options as he looked at the lost souls. The Moon was blocking the Sun, so that meant he couldn't absorb any more Solar Energy.

'So no transformations.'

The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was no longer in his possession. Chances are, it was still floating around in the Dimensional Gap. He couldn't sense Ddraig within his mind. Nor could he sense the Yamata-no-Orochi.

'So no sword either.'

Issei narrowed his eyes as he tried to think of something. His eyes then widened as he had an epiphany.

'Hold on. Death said I was an embodiment of life and death if I remember correctly. That was all because of the...Phoenix! But I could only use the power of the Phoenix in my second form. So can I use it here?'

He was feeling hesitant about his decision. He had never used the power and attributes of the legendary Phoenix in his normal state before.

'Only one way to find out.'

Glaring at the lost souls with a serious look on his face, Issei grunted as he tried to flare out even an ounce of the power of the Phoenix. His attempt was a success, as a pool of orange-yellow flames surrounded him.

Suddenly, the flames started to change into an eerie purple color with black outlines. Issei widened his eyes in confusion, until he suddenly felt his chest beating. Issei cried out at the unexpected pain and looked down to see the hole in his chest spreading out more.

_"Uhhhhhhhhh!"_

Issei grunted as a pool of silver-white energy burst out of the hole on his chest, and began to spread around him. His eyes widening further, Issei hurriedly began to pry the silver energy off of him, but to no avail. The energy kept regenerating itself.

Riser widened his eyes in surprise.

"What's happening to him?"

"Fufufu."

The Phenex Devil widened his eyes further to see Death giggling like a schoolgirl. It was so unsettling to see the most terrifying being in existence...giggling.

"Isn't it obvious? He's trying to battle his anger."

"What?"

"Don't you remember what I said, Phenex? Issei obtained his Solar and Hell-Fire transformations through anger. And because the attributes of the legendary Phoenix were present in his Hell-Fire form, that means he achieved it as a result of anger."

"So what is that silver energy?"

"It's all of the anger he's suppressed over the years. As anger continuously grows, it becomes far too much for the person to handle."

"So is he transforming?"

"We shall see." Death stated with a smile on her face.

"GAHH!" Issei grunted as the silver energy began to envelop him.

While Issei was distracted, a lost soul sped towards him and bit into his flesh. Gasping in pain, Issei retaliated by grabbing the lost soul and throwing it towards the others, causing the crowd to fall down in a domino effect.

Issei flared out his aura to keep them away, but the lost souls wouldn't cease in their attempts to harm him. As his aura flared, the silver energy began to expand to a great size, before it covered Issei entirely.

Without any interruptions from their meal, the lost souls went to feast on the young man, unaware that the silver energy began to combine with the purple aura with black outlines. Seconds later, a vast explosion erupted within the sphere, causing some of the lost souls to back away.

Riser's eyes remained wide-open, while Death remained still with that smirk on her face. Seconds later, the light from the explosion faded, revealing a new figure that stood ominously still.

The figure had long brown hair that reached down to his waist. The hole in his chest, which seemed to be bigger than it was before, was decorated with black makings that stretched across his chest to his shoulders. His extremely pale-white skin, glistened within the darkness of Death's Domain. There appeared to be a mask that covered his entire head. The mask featured two long horns that pointed upwardly, and had black outlines extending from the center towards the tips. Jutting out from the sides of the horns were wing-like fringes.

Although the lost souls couldn't show emotions, they backed away from the figure, as though they realized that their meal could no longer be considered a meal.

Lifting his head up, the figure released a deafening roar that echoed throughout Death's Domain. The echo was so spine-chilling, that it even frightened Riser. Death, on the other hand, appeared to be more cheerful than anything.

"He's...", Riser began as his voice trembled, "He's a monster! I don't even recognize him anymore!"

"Hmm," Death cooed as she licked her lips at the sight of the figure, "It's just as I said, Phenex. When you hold in anger for such a long time, it's bound to make an ugly appearance."

"I-I!" Riser couldn't even speak his retort.

"Fufufu. I wonder what we should call this form of Issei?"

The lost souls floated away from the ominous figure, whose mask revealed glowing golden eyes. Letting out another chilling roar, Issei lowered his head down, and a spark of black energy began to emit from his horns. The sphere of black energy quickly expanded to a colossal size, almost reaching near the top of the shield that encased him.

"Hmm," Death hummed as she smiled wider, "He really is an interesting creature."

_"RAHHHHHHHH!"_

Issei's roar echoed throughout Death's Domain, causing the spaceless area to shake in tremors. As the black sphere of energy began to increase in size, the lost souls tried to escape their prison.

_"GUAHHHHHHH!"_

With another bellow, Issei shot his energy blast, causing a vast explosion to emerge within the shield. As the light cleared, there appeared to be no traces of the lost souls. Suddenly, a large number of ghostly auras began to take a shape, revealing themselves as another set of lost souls.

Riser widened his eyes at the sight.

"What's happening? I thought he destroyed them!"

"Haha," Death chuckled as she watched the scene, "The lost souls that exist within my realm are already destroyed. You cannot kill something that is already dead and expect it to stay put."

"So if Issei keeps blasting them with those horns of his, then they'll-"

"Regenerate." Death finished for him.

"..."

"Bet you're glad you're not trapped within that shield." Death said as she teased the Phenex Devil.

Riser scowled but he didn't say anything.

Issei let out another howl of insanity as he charged another energy blast. Instead of the one he used before, this particular blast was purple with black outlines.

"What?! He can summon another one just like that?!" Riser cried out in shock.

Death chuckled in amusement, but before she could answer, another voice made itself known.

"SON OF AMATERASU!"

At the sound of the voice, Death and Riser turned around to see an old man with brown-black hair. His eyes showed nothing but contempt as he glared at the berserker transformed Issei. There was a hole in his stomach that seemed to spread wider. There was also blood that dropped from parts of his body, courtesy of the lost souls that had attempted to consume his flesh.

Death smiled as she instantly recognized who it was, while Riser looked at the man in confusion.

"Susanoo. The God of the storms and seas. How awful to see you. Might I ask why you're here in this part of my Domain?"

Susanoo moved his attention from his nephew to the very embodiment of demise. Susanoo's glare didn't even faze Death in the slightest. Then again, this was Death he was staring at. She was the greatest fear of all, so why should a God be able to frighten her?

"Hmm. Perhaps you would like to take revenge on your cute little nephew?" Death asked in curiosity.

Smirking darkly, Susanoo clenched his fist.

"Of course! I will not die until the son of Amaterasu is dead! The damn Yamata-no-Orochi prevented me from delivering the final blow! I will not rest until I witness his death!"

After declaring his wish, Susanoo shot towards the shield that encased his nephew. Lifting his hand up, a lighting bolt spear formed, and he threw it towards the shield.

Feeling extremely amused, Death humored Susanoo and allowed her shield to dissipate. With the shield gone, the lightning bolt summoned from Susanoo landed a direct hit on Issei, who stumbled, causing his energy blast to implode.

Susanoo grinned as he stopped his pace, waiting to see what his nephew would do. The lost souls stopped in their attempts to escape the berserker Issei, as though they were curious to see what would happen next.

"_Uhhhhhh..._"

A black mist began to emit out of Issei's mask, its effect causing his breathing to emit a low, garbled and echoed sound. Susanoo felt a chill go up his spine as he looked down to see his nephew slowly turning around to face him. Suddenly, he transmitted away.

"What?!" Susanoo cried out as he tried to sense his nephew's energy signature.

His eyes widened at his recent discovery.

'What's happening?! I can't sense him!'

He couldn't sense Issei's energy signature at all. It was as though he wasn't even there. Susanoo couldn't understand. Issei was clearly in Death's Domain, which meant he couldn't be considered alive. Yet, he also couldn't be considered dead either.

'What the hell is he?! Is he dead or alive?'

Susanoo's eyes widened further as he began to think more clearly.

'Is he both? Is he alive and dead at the same time?! That cannot be possible at all!'

"Ahhhhh..."

"?!"

Susanoo turned around just in time to see Issei right behind him. Narrowing his eyes, Susanoo clenched his fist to summon a lightning spear, and went to attack Issei with it, until something unexpected happened.

Before Susanoo's spear could stab him, Issei grabbed his spear with only one hand, causing sparks and bolts of lightning to emit throughout Death's Domain. Susanoo gasped when Issei began to clench his fist while holding the lightning spear.

'How is this possible?! He's blocking it with his bare hand!"

Placing more pressure on his grip, Issei destroyed the lightning spear, which shattered into sparkling pieces. A smoke cloud emerged from the destruction.

Susanoo blinked as he tried to enhance his sight through the smoke cloud. Seconds later, the smoke cleared, revealing a face close-up of the masked Issei, who narrowed his glowing eyes.

"Uahhhhhh..."

"?!"

Susanoo panicked and retreated away from his ferocious nephew. Growling in a garbled and echoed breath, Issei lowered his head once more. The God of the seas and storms widened his eyes in fear when a spark of dark-purplish energy began to emerge from the tips of Issei's horns.

The pool of energy began to form into a large sphere, causing Susanoo to feel a bit of fright. Narrowing his eyes, Susanoo held out his hand as a pool of blue-silver energy began to shine from his hand. As he witnessed his nephew' energy sphere expanding, Susanoo quickly shot his lightning blast. As if on cue, Issei released his energy blast, causing his attack to collide with Susanoo's attack in a beam struggle.

Watching from above them, Death rose an eyebrow in curiosity.

'The Storm God is losing his concentration. Issei is overwhelming him by the second, and yet Susanoo is fighting to the point of desperation.'

Riser could only stand still with his mouth agape. He had already labeled Issei as a monster when they first fought at the arena in the Underworld. However, as he looked at this monstrous form of Issei, he felt that the term monster was an understatement right now.

"I can't believe it! This is all of his anger?! I still don't understand any of this!"

"Anger can manifest in many forms, Riser Phenex. So many forms." Death said in a dreamy voice.

"?!"

Susanoo widened his eyes when he found out that his blast was weakening against Issei's own energy blast. Seconds later, Issei's energy blast overwhelmed Susanoo's lightning spear, enveloping the storm God into a pool of energy. The surroundings around them shook as a result of the large-scaled explosion.

As the light faded away, the smoke from the explosion cleared, revealing Susanoo, with Issei's left hand wrapped around his neck into a tight grip.

"I should have expected this from a worthless being such as yourself! A monster who would kill his own kin! OOOF!"

Susanoo choked in pain as Issei tightened his grip around his neck. The storm God looked up to see Issei's horns charging another energy blast. However, the color of the blast was merely a purple shade.

"I should have known. There'd be no mercy, especially from a berserk being such as yourself." Susanoo stated as he taunted his nephew.

As if agreeing with his uncle's statement, Issei released the purple energy blast onto Susanoo. There were no screams or cries of agony. Only the sounds of Issei's energy blast prevailed over the noise of Death's Domain.

The light from the explosion faded once more. The smoke cleared, revealing Issei. However, the smoke cleared out more, revealing Susanoo with blood splattered all over his body. The storm God was bleeding and breathing heavily, his chest rising ever so slightly.

Silently, Issei tossed his uncle far away from him, causing the storm God to land into a pile of lost souls. As Issei floated where he was, a slight crack began to break apart the top part of his left horn.

Susanoo widened his eyes in confusion.

'What the hell happened to his horn?! I didn't even touch it!"

Riser rose an eyebrow as he watched one of Issei's horns break apart. Death merely stared at the scene with a hint of curiosity. As far as she was concerned, neither she or Riser moved at all during the battle between Issei and Susanoo. Plus, judging by the look on Susanoo's face, it seemed that he was puzzled as well.

Suddenly, a colossal pool of purple and orange-colored flames began to surround Issei, before they imploded upon him, causing a smoke cloud explosion. Susanoo covered his eyes from the bright light. As he removed his hands from blocking his sight, his eyes widened.

Issei's body shook as he took short haggard breaths. His now short brown hair covered and shadowed his eyes entirely. His entire body seemed to tense all at once, shown by his legs shaking. Starting to breathe heavily, Issei looked up, allowing his uncle to see his eyes.

Susanoo widened his eyes further.

'His eyes! They're both brown! His left eye was already brown, but his right eye used to be the color of the Sun! But now both of his eyes are brown! What the hell happened?!'

The God of the storms and seas also noticed there was a certain...light within his nephew's eyes. His eyes were now soft. The appearance of his eyes greatly contrasted to the ones he had seen before. However, the brown eyes in his sights were not innocent at all. They were soft-looking, but they weren't innocent.

His nephew had already lost his innocence ever since he unlocked his power. That innocence had shattered long ago. But now...as he looked and focused into his nephew's eyes closely, he saw only peace. There were no traces of wisdom, but there were traces of peace.

His soft brown eyes feeling heavy, Issei closed his eyes as his body began to fall forward. Before he tumble down, he was caught by none other than Death itself. The female personification of decay and destruction softened her gaze as she gently carried Issei.

As she set her sights to Susanoo, however, her soulless black eyes seemed to darken, if that was even possible.

"I'm impressed, storm God."

Susanoo, his attention removed from his nephew and to the storm God, narrowed his eyes.

"About what?"

"I'm impressed that you were able to make it this far. Normally the lost souls that reside in my Domain would've feasted on your soul by now."

"Humph. No lost souls will keep me tame."

"...Is that a fact?" Death asked menacingly.

"?!"

Susanoo gasped as a large crowd of lost souls began to float towards him. He looked around to find a way to escape, but to no avail. He looked up to see Death looking down at him with a terrifying smile on her face.

"You may have been able to avoid only a few of my lost souls. Let's see how you fare against three million!"

Susanoo didn't even have time to scream in agony as the lost souls took turns as they ate him as though he was a shish-kabob. Smiling wickedly at the tortured storm God, Death summoned a pool of shadows around her and Issei, as the two transmitted away from the Domain.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Dimensional Gap<strong>

Death smiled as she floated around the void that existed between Earth, Heaven, and the Underworld.

"Hmm. This is a surprise. The Ouroboros Dragon and the Apocalypse Dragon are not here. Usually they are here to occupy this realm. Hmm. It seems that Issei has changed them more than he had ever expected."

Looking around the Dimensional Gap, Death quirked an eyebrow in curiosity as she spotted a sword which featured a white metallic color.

'Ah, so this is the sword my Darling carried before he ended up in my Domain. I sense two energy signatures within the sword.'

Humming lightly, the entity floated over to the sword, and picked it up, causing the sword to release a bright light.

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi<strong>

The Red Dragon Emperor and the Yamata-no-Orochi lifted their heads up as they sensed a terrifying surge of energy. The energy signature of this entity brought great fear within their hearts.

Very cautiously, Ddraig rose his head to see an adult female with a well-endowed figure. She had night-black hair and equally colored soulless eyes. Hugging her shapely figure, was a dark-black robe.

Despite the fact that it was the woman herself who wielded this vast yet frightening energy, she smiled politely at the two creatures in front of her.

"Red Dragon Emperor. Yamata-no-Orochi. How do you do?" The woman greeted politely.

Ddraig didn't respond. After all, what could he say? He was staring Death right in the face! Although he was known as one of the most prideful Dragons in existence, not even he could collect himself while in the presence of Death itself.

The Yamata-no-Orochi understood English. However, she didn't even know how to speak. That didn't mean she was exactly brave. Even before she had gained sentience, the sight and energy surges of Death would frighten her.

Death tilted her head as she looked at the pale faces of the Welsh Dragon and the Orochi.

'For goodness sake, by the looks on their faces, it's like I'm going to kill them or something. Fufu.'

Death chuckled at her own little pun, but she quickly composed herself.

"I took this form because I wanted to ensure that I wouldn't be perceived as a threat. However, it seems that this appearance does not soothe you two at all."

**{...}**

'...'

Death sighed as a smile formed on her lips.

"Very well, I shall get to the point. I've come to tell you two something very important."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Room<strong>

_...itoko!_

_...itoko!_

Brown eyes started to drift upwards before they opened wide to see a familiar person. Dark crimson-ruby eyes looked down at him worriedly.

"L-Leiko-san?"

"ISE-ITOKO!"

At the unexpected loud cry, Issei was unprepared to defend himself as Leiko latched herself onto him. Issei winced at the pain as he became the victim of an unpredictable hug from his cousin. His thoughts at this moment were unclear, but they seemed to dwell on wondering how Leiko could have such a vice grip on him.

Leiko was relentless as she hugged her cousin tightly, not wanting to let him go. Moments before she had discovered Issei was back in his own house, she was sitting downstairs with Ophis and the Great Red. She noticed that the two were quiet for once. Usually the Great Red would say something rude and/or stupid, and Ophis would say something back, which caused an never-ending argument between them.

However, the two most strongest existences were quiet. It was pure coincidence that Leiko wanted to go upstairs to her cousin's room, only to find him laying on his bed. With a hole in his chest, and a luminescent circle on his head.

"Ise-itoko!" Leiko said worriedly as she hugged Issei tighter, "Oh, my precious baby Ise-itoko! We've been so worried about you!"

Issei's mouth was covered, so he couldn't give her a response. Seconds later, Issei's room door opened, revealing Ophis and Great Red.

"My Issei?"

"KID!"

Issei widened his eyes when the Apocalypse Dragon ran over to him, and held him in a bear hug. Walking slowly, Ophis climbed onto Issei's bed, and placed her face in front of Issei's own, before she gave him a kiss. The Ouroboros Dragon tilted her head when she noticed the 'halo' on top of Issei's head, and the color of Issei's eyes.

'My, Issei. He is back.'

Finally releasing her cousin, Leiko widened her eyes slightly as she looked into Issei's eyes.

'Hey. His eyes! They're both brown. And they look soft again!'

Great Red didn't even bother to look at his brother-in-law as he gripped him into a bear hug. Before Issei could even _try_ to say anything, a bright blade suddenly manifested into his hand. Widening his eyes, Issei squinted his eyes to avoid a bright light that flashed before him.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

Shaking his head, Issei looked up and his eyes widened.

"M-my inner world."

The skyscrapers and buildings were now back in their original order. The sky in his inner world appeared to be brighter than usual.

Looking up at the sky in curiosity, Issei sighed.

**[Isssssei.]**

"Huh?"

Issei turned around just in time to see the Yamata-no-Orochi staring at him with her golden reptilian eyes. The young man widened his eyes and backed away just slightly. The Orochi tilted her head to the side as she took a step forward.

Suddenly, her sharp tongue rolled out of her mouth, stretching across until it touched Issei. Issei, not expecting the strange contact, could only stand silently. Retracting her tongue, the Yamata-no-Orochi walked closer to Issei, and suddenly latched herself onto him.

Issei had to give himself credit for not crying out in surprise. Usually when a naked and voluptuous girl glomped onto a person, that person would either try to pry the girl off or just endure it.

Issei was one of those brave souls who endured through it.

All in all, he never expected the Yamata-no-Orochi to display this amount of affection for him.

**{Kukuku.}**

At the sound of the familiar laughter, Issei looked up to see the Red Dragon Emperor himself, floating upwards in the sky of his inner world.

"Ddraig!"

**{...It's good to see you, partner.}**


	10. Temporary Peace

**Issei's Inner World/Subconscious**

**[Issssssei.]**

Issei blinked several times at the Orochi's voice. The girl was still on top of him. Her golden reptilian eyes gazed right into his soul. Lowering her head, the Yamata-no-Orochi opened her mouth, showing Issei her sharp fangs and tongue. Rolling her long sharp tongue out, the Orochi licked Issei on his cheek.

As soon as the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi came in contact with Issei, the Inner World began to reconstruct itself, with the buildings and skyscrapers brightening.

When the Yamata-no-Orochi saw Issei appear in his Inner World, she suddenly felt the urge to be with him. As this was the first time the Orochi discovered her true emotions, she didn't have a clear understanding on why she was doing this. It was as though her instinct was pulling her towards Issei.

As he watched the Orochi display affection towards his host, Ddraig glided towards them, making sure he wouldn't crush any of the buildings. The Welsh Dragon had to admit that he was ecstatic that Issei was back. Even with the presence of the Yamata-no-Orochi as company, the Red Dragon Emperor honestly didn't know how he was going to move on.

His view began to change when Death itself had visited them within the seals of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. It told him and the Orochi that Issei was well, and that it returned him to the human world.

**{So partner, how did it feel to meet Death itself?}**

Patting the Orochi on the head gently, which caused her to hiss in pleasure, Issei turned his attention to Ddraig.

"Honestly...it was surreal. Out of all the people I've met, I never would've expected to meet her...uh, it."

**{Hmm.}**

**[Issssssei.]**

At the sound of his name, Issei looked up at the golden eyes of the Orochi.

"Uh..." Issei began in confusion.

**{Do you know what's strange, partner? You seem to attract some of the most strongest existences in the Universe.}**

"I do?"

**{Think about it. You got Ophis. Then there's Great Red, Lilith, and the Yamata-no-Orochi. Hell, even Death has a little crush on you.}**

"..."

**{Except for Great Red, all of the creatures I mentioned are genderless, partner. And they all took a female form. Do you know what that means?}**

"What?"

_Ise-itoko..._

As he heard his cousin's voice within his Inner World, Issei took this opportunity to transmit out of his subconscious. As soon as she saw Issei disappear, the Yamata-no-Orochi curled her lips into a small pout.

**[Issssei.]**

**{Not to worry. He'll be back.}**

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Room<strong>

Opening his brown eyes, the first sight Issei saw was Leiko, Ophis, and the Great Red sitting on his bed. Sitting himself up, Issei cracked his neck to get the crick out of it.

"Ise-itoko, are you all right?" Leiko asked in a worried tone.

Issei sighed and looked up at his cousin.

Leiko almost felt herself lose her breath. Even if it was a slight yet significant change, Leiko couldn't help but become transfixed as she stared into her cousin's eyes. She remembered the shape of Issei's eyes before he transformed for the first time.

Her precious little cousin's eyes used to hold that innocent doe-look. It was one of the qualities that made her adore and love her cousin intensely. Even if his right eye had the color of the Sun, Leiko never minded it.

It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul. As Leiko looked into her cousin's eyes, she no longer detected innocence within them. She didn't know what she was looking at.

Blinking several times, Issei gave his cousin a soft smile, a smile that seemed to stir something unfamiliar within Leiko. The elder Hyoudou could feel her heart flutter and beat quickly in her chest.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Leiko-san." He said softly.

Leiko widened her eyes slightly as she noticed her cousin's tone. Grunting slightly, Issei pushed himself into a more comfortable position. Tilting her head, Ophis crawled closer to Issei, and placed her hands on Issei.

"My Issei. I cannot sense your energy anymore."

"Yeah, I can't either." Great Red added. "And what the hell is that 'halo' doing on top of your head?"

Looking up, Issei tapped the luminescent circle on his head, causing it to brighten.

"I, uh-"

Leiko interrupted her cousin as she put her hand over the hole in her cousin's chest.

"What happened to your chest, Ise-itoko?"

"Hmm. I suppose I shall be the one to answer that." Said a dark yet seductive voice.

At the unexpected sound of the voice, Leiko, Ophis, and Great Red looked up to see a woman with black hair. Her soulless eyes matched the color of the robe she was clad in.

Leiko widened her eyes as she began to feel a tremendous pressure emitting from the woman. Ophis and Great Red remained silent, as they knew who the entity truly was. Especially the Ouroboros Dragon. She knew who this being was. Simply because this entity could never claim her. For Ophis was the Nothingness of Infinity. Only she decided who would claim her.

Death smiled as she lowered herself.

"It's been a long time, Ouroboros. And you too, Apocalypse Dragon."

"Shinigami." Ophis said in her toneless voice.

"What?! Death?! It can't be!" Leiko said in disbelief.

"Hmm. I'm afraid it is, my dear." Death said as she smiled at Leiko.

Leiko's body shook in fear.

'How does Ise-itoko keep finding these people?!'

Moving her attention to Issei, Death smiled wider.

"I see that your family is happy to see you, Darling."

Ophis narrowed her eyes slightly.

'Is the Shinigami flirting with my mate?'

"Ouroboros. Moments ago you said you were unable to sense Issei's energy signature. Well, there's a perfectly good reason for that." Death said.

Blinking several times in confusion, Leiko was the one to speak her question.

"What's the reason? If I may ask." Leiko asked politely.

Sending a polite smile over to Leiko, Death obliged with her answer.

"Because Issei has become an incarnation of both Life and Death."

"What?!"

It seemed that Leiko was the only one who was surprised at the revelation of her cousin.

"What do you mean? Are you saying Ise-itoko's alive and dead at the same time?"

"Why yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"But how is that possible? How can that be?"

Sending her attention to Ophis, Death sent her a nod.

"Ouroboros. I'm sure you're aware of the presence of the Phoenix within Issei."

"I am." Ophis answered.

"The presence of the Phoenix is what allowed your mate to avoid the lost souls that exist within my Domain. It is also what prevented him from dying completely. The hole in his chest is what caused him to pass through my realm."

"All right, we get that Shinigami," Great Red said in a huff, "But you still aren't being clear on why Issei's energy signature can't be sensed anymore."

"Hmm. I was getting to that, Apocalypse Dragon." Death stated in an annoyed tone.

Turning her attention back to Leiko, Death's expression softened.

"On Earth, I noticed that the Sun was obscured from the Moon. Do you know what that means, Leiko Hyoudou?"

Feeling a little surprised that the personification of despair knew her name, Leiko tried to compose herself.

"It's a Solar Eclipse. A Total Solar Eclipse."

Death smiled and nodded to Issei's cousin.

"That's correct. Because the Moon is covering the Sun, the rays of sunlight are blocking, which prevents them from providing light to the Earth. So when that happened, Darling's energy structure depleted quickly than expected."

At this revelation, Great Red widened his eyes in interest, and looked over to Issei, who remained quiet.

"So that's why we can't sense anything from you. Well, a Solar Eclipse doesn't last forever right?"

"Well, I'm no expert," Leiko began as she placed her hand under chin, "But I don't think they last for a long time."

"It depends on the location you mortals are in." Death said, speaking directly to Leiko.

Nodding in response, Leiko turned her attention to Issei and went to rub Issei's hair softly. She then hugged him tightly, prompting Issei to give her a look of confusion.

Smiling gently, Death looked over to Leiko.

"So why does Ise-itoko have this halo on top of his head?" Leiko asked in curiosity after letting go of Issei.

"Hmm. That's simple. It is to make sure that I know where Issei is at all times."

Ophis felt her hair bristle as she narrowed her eyes in irritation.

"Shinigami," Ophis almost growled out, "Have you claimed my mate?"

Placing her hand over her mouth, Death giggled, which prompted Leiko to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh don't be silly, Ouroboros. I know of the symbol that marked Issei as your mate. I have no intention of claiming him."

Narrowing her eyes darkly, Ophis scoffed. Realizing that teasing the Infinite Dragon God would no doubt be troubling, Death smiled.

"I believe it is time for me to go." Death said before she began to fade.

Lowering her head down, Death planted a soft kiss on Issei's cheek causing Ophis to bristle again.

"Shinigami..."

"Hmm. I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself."

Before Ophis could reply, Death transmitted out of Issei's room.

Sighing, Issei shook his head as he looked at his cousin.

"Well, that was awkward."

"No kidding." Leiko said as she smiled.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

At the sound of the knocking on Issei's room door, Issei, Leiko, and the Dragons turned to see a familiar figure. Issei widened his eyes as he recognized the woman with curly blonde hair and warm loving eyes.

"?!"

Before Issei could speak, Gabriel rushed over to the bed, and hugged Issei tightly.

"Issei-kun! I'm so glad you're okay!"

"G-Gabriel-san?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

Reappearing within her Domain, Death looked over to see Riser staring at the lost souls, who were still devouring Susanoo. The screams of the Storm God had long since diminished, silenced by the souls within the Domain.

"Are you enjoying the show, Phenex?" Death asked in a curious tone.

"I'm not enjoying it. It's just weird that he's still here. I'm aware that he is a God and all, but for him to endure the monsters of your Domain for such a long time is unreal."

"Hmm. Yes it is fascinating. But rest assured, as the lost souls feast on the new ones, they grow stronger. Eventually, Susanoo will perish. Although I must say, he is faring well against the souls. Darling was able to withstand the lost souls even before he obtained that Berserker transformation of his. Aside from Darling, another soul that dwells within my realm has been able to avoid the lost souls for a long time."

"You mean there is a soul within your Domain that is actually alive besides me?" Riser said as his eyes widened.

"Shocking isn't it?", Death quipped, "It's ironic really. I was immune to this being. But he was never immune to me, no matter how powerful he was."

"Who is this being?"

"Hmm." Death hummed as she smiled. "He passed into my Realm during the Great War. It's strange. As soon as Darling passed into my realm, I could feel the energy surge of the one who died in the Great War. I believe he was trying to reach Darling."

"Well, whoever the hell this being is, why didn't he make a full appearance?" Riser asked in curiosity.

"I believe he did, Riser Phenex. I believe he is the one who helped Darling defeat the anger deep within his heart."

"Who is this person you are talking about?" The Phenex Devil asked, his confusion apparent.

Chuckling in amusement, Death sent Riser a mysterious smile.

"It's not that hard to figure out. Then again, his death was kept a secret from the three races all those years ago. What puzzles me, is why he helped Darling in the first place."

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

Amaterasu was silent as she manipulated the energy of the Sun to align with the Moon. In part due to her animosity with Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, Amaterasu detested the action of Solar Eclipses. Allowing the Moon to cover the Sun annoyed her to no end.

As she narrowed her eyes, Amaterasu looked down at her grass fields, watching the wind blow them away. Sighing, Amaterasu focused on her concentration, before she suddenly felt a suffocating pressure.

"Amaterasu-omikami. It is nice to meet you."

Turning around slowly, Amaterasu widened her eyes in shock. Although the woman in front of her was unfamiliar at all, she recognized the chilling presence.

"The S-Shinigami!"

Death clutched her scythe as she floated down to the Sun Goddess.

"I see that you and your brother are in the process of the Solar Eclipse."

"Y-yes." Amaterasu said nervously.

Even though Death seemed pleasant, there was a reason it was one of the most feared beings in existence.

"I see." Death stated as she looked around her surroundings.

Walking up to the Sun Goddess, Death placed her scythe.

"Amaterasu-omikami. I have news for you."

"What news?"

"About your son of course."

"?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Living Room<strong>

"Hmm. I see."

Gabriel, Great Red, and Ophis sat downstairs in the living room as they conversed. After Gabriel had finished asking Issei if he was all right, Ophis explained the entire situation to Gabriel.

The Seraph was confounded as Ophis explained that the entity Death was the one who brought Issei back to the world of the living. What even shocked her more was that Issei was declared to be alive and dead at the same time.

Sipping her cup of tea, Gabriel placed the cup down on the table and folded her hands.

"So Death itself brought Issei-kun back. That's really strange though. Death actually preventing a soul from residing in its Domain? It doesn't make any sense."

"Humph," Great Red huffed with a smirk on his face, "Death probably brought Issei back because it didn't want to piss off Cthulhu over here."

"Be silent, Baka-Red." Ophis grumbled in an annoyed tone.

Gabriel suppressed a giggle as she watched Great Red and Ophis interact. It was so strange. The two most strongest existences...fighting as though they were siblings.

'Issei really did change them.'

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Bedroom<strong>

Leiko remained silent as she watched Issei sleep silently on his bed. Her facial expression softened as she gazed at her cousin's face.

'He always look so different when he's sleeping.'

Her crimson-ruby eyes softening, Leiko lifted her hand and brushed it gently across Issei's hair. Leiko sighed softly as she looked at her cousin closely.

'Ise-itoko has been going throughout a lot these days. I'm starting to wonder if he can handle it all.'

Despite she and Issei not being that close now, Leiko still cared very greatly for her little cousin. When they were children, it was rare for them to spend any sort of time together; due to Issei's reclusive nature. But Leiko was never deterred. She loved her cousin too much for that.

That was why she made an effort to visit Issei whenever she could. She could tell that Issei still had traces of his reclusive nature. In Leiko's opinion, that was probably why Ophis and the Great Red could get along with Issei so easily.

The Ouroboros Dragon had explained to Leiko she was born out of nothingness and initially used to crave silence. The Great Red was a delinquent. In a way, he also wanted beings to leave him alone. Leiko could remember the Class Observation Day at her cousin's school. Every other student that so much as glanced at Great Red, would get either a growl or an insult in return.

However, Issei, her beloved adopted cousin was different. Issei's reclusive nature was due to the harassment of the color of his eyes. Due to the experiences he went through as a child, Issei had chosen the life of a shut-in. With the exception of Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou, and Leiko herself, Issei wanted nothing to do with anybody.

That was until Leiko herself took the opportunity to visit her precious cousin. Truth be told, she had been planning to see how her cousin was doing after all these years. When she saw him walk through his house door from his first day at Kuoh Academy, she spotted the almost permanent shy look on his face.

From that point on, she resolved to get her precious cousin out of his shell.

She had to admit, taking Issei to the library wasn't probably a 'normal' thing for her to do. Regardless, she desired to spend some time with her cousin. The next time she saw Issei, she did it with the intention of visiting what type of school he had.

Then that faithful day where she herself had bluntly told Issei about what was going to happen if he remained a shut-in for the rest of his life. To this day, Leiko was still unsure about how that conversation affected her cousin.

She never even got time to think about it before she was kidnapped by that woman with the purple hair, and ended up in a dungeon in the Underworld. The event was probably one of the most fearful moments in her own life. It was made even worse when her only company was a teenage version of Chun-Li.

'It was the first time I came in contact with the world of the supernatural. It was also the event I saw Ise-itoko's personality change completely.'

When the transformed Issei came to save her, Leiko didn't know what to think. The anger radiating off of her cousin caused her to feel an unfamiliar emotion within her. The change in her cousin's personality frightened her.

The more times Leiko visited Issei, her worry for him increased. She didn't want her cousin to be a shut-in, but she also didn't want Issei to become a bitter person as well. She just wanted her cousin to have a happy life.

Sadly, Issei wasn't exactly a normal person. It seemed that Issei was never going to have a quiet normal life.

Looking at her cousin softly, Leiko stealthily climbed onto her cousin's bed. Taking care to keep quiet, Leiko rested her head next to Issei's own, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sighing, Leiko shook her head as she looked back at her cousin.

'Why must I have such a weird cousin?' Leiko asked in her thoughts.

Despite her question, Leiko's lips curved upwards to an affectionate smile as her eyes softened. She leaned forward and puckered her lips out. She then placed a sweet and small kiss on Issei's forehead.

_Smooch_

And another.

_Smooch._

And another.

_Smooch._

"Then again you wouldn't be my Ise-itoko if you were normal. Now would you?"

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

"My little Sun?! Is he all right?!"

Death rose an eyebrow at Amaterasu's 'nickname' for Issei, but she continued nonetheless.

"Your son has become a manifestation of Life and Death, Amaterasu-omikami."

"I don't understand! How could this happen?"

"Your brother, the God of the storms and seas."

"Susanoo?!"

Amaterasu's worry increased the second Death mentioned her brother.

"Yes. The God of the storms and seas encountered your son. As the events transpired, the two engaged in a battle. They ended up killing the other."

"?!"

Death continued her explanation, as the concept of what she represented didn't faze her in the slightest.

"However, your son is fine now. Your brother, on the other hand, has been fed to the shadows that exist within my realm."

"But I don't understand. The Solar Energy from the Sun should have been able to regenerate him."

"Your son has been using solar energy to provide for his transformations for so long. The more time it has been used, the more it has depleted."

"I still don't-"

"When you and Tsukuyomi combined the Sun and the Moon, that cut off the rays of solar power. When that happened, Issei was unable to absorb anymore Solar Energy."

"Oh my goodness! My little Sun-!"

"But he is all right now." Death interrupted as she tried to placate Amaterasu, "He is resting in his home."

Amaterasu's eyes then widened in shock.

'Is that why Tsukuyomi was so eager for the Sun and the Moon to join? Was he in a alliance with Susanoo?'

"...I believe it is time for me to go." Death stated as she began to fade away.

Amaterasu widened her eyes further as she saw Death disappear. Putting her hand on her chest, Amaterasu turned around and looked at her grass fields.

"My darling Issei."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

**{Oi, partner.}**

Blinking several times, Issei looked up to see Ddraig and the Orochi looking at him. There were cards in both of their hands.

**[Your turn.]** The Orochi said in a quiet tone.

Blinking again, Issei looked down to see cards in his hands. Looking at the Orochi, Issei smiled gently to her.

"Orochi-chan. Do you have any 5's?"

In response to Issei's question, the Orochi looked at her deck quietly.

**[Go...fisssssh.]** The Orochi hissed in response.

Issei grabbed a card from the deck piled in front of him, and placed it into his own deck.

Ddraig looked at his host carefully. The Red Dragon Emperor discovered that Issei's mindscape was a bit more brighter than it was before. Although it puzzled him why the inner world was like this in the first place. Issei didn't seem to be happier. He appeared to be more calm, yet extremely tired.

**[Sssix?]**

"...Hey, Ddraig. She's talking to you."

**{Huh?}**

Ddriag sent his green eyes over to the Orochi, who stared back at him with her reptilian eyes.

**{...Go fish.}**

Her lips curling into a pout, the Orochi drew a card and placed it into her deck.

Ddraig kept his attention on his host. According to the female manifestation of Death, Issei was able to conquer the anger deep within his soul. However, as Issei himself pointed out, anger cannot be destroyed.

What puzzled Ddraig was what Death had told him next. The anger Issei had suppressed for many years, had manifested into another transformation. Death explained that Issei's recent transformation was that of a berserker, possessing the mighty force of the Phoenix, along with a massive energy potential that far surpassed that of Issei's Hell-Fire form.

From what Death had told him, Issei's new transformation was due to his own circumstances. Because Issei could not currently absorb Solar Energy, and the fact that he was now a manifestation of Life and Death, the energy of the Phoenix combined with the force of his raw anger, created the new transformation.

**{So partner has another form. Can it even be considered a Solar transformation? I understand that the power of the Phoenix was used as a catalyst. So would the transformation be called a Shinigami-Phoenix? Or a Death-Phoenix?}**

"Ddraig. It's your turn." Issei said as he shuffled his deck.

Shaken out of his thoughts, Ddraig looked at his deck of cards, and set his sights over to the Orochi, who was seemingly trying to peek at Issei's cards. Widening his eyes, Issei moved his cards away, before realizing that the Orochi was trying to lick him again.

"Yamata-no-Orochi. Do you have any fours?"

Pouting at the Welsh Dragon, the Orochi grudgingly handed her fours over to him.

**{Ah. It's good to be the King.}**

**[Sssstupid Welsh Dragon.]** The Orochi hissed in annoyance.

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

Sighing, Death looked on as she watched the lost souls float around her realm. Looking around her Domain, she spotted Riser with his arms crossed. The Phenex Devil looked on in silence.

Moving her attention to the lost souls, Death smiled in amusement.

'It took a long time, but now I can say that wretched storm God who hurt my Darling is gone. I would've killed him myself as soon as he passed into my Domain, but feeding him to my lost souls seemed much more satisfying.'

Floating away from the 'pleasant' scenery, Death wandered to another section of her realm. Her soulless black eyes softened as she drifted to her thoughts.

'That berserker form of Issei. It's very interesting. The massive energy he released within my Domain was far more potent than the power of his other transformations. If that is the case...then my Darling must have suppressed a vast amount of anger since he was a child.'

Death put her hand on her chest as she became lost in her thoughts. Suddenly, she felt a colossal surge of energy, and she smiled.

'Ah, so he finally makes an appearance.'

"What the hell?!" Riser screamed out in fright.

Chuckling in amusement, Death turned to see a shocked Riser, who was shaking. In front of Riser, was an elderly man with sheet-white hair. Despite being aged, he appeared to have a well-toned body, which was covered under a glowing robe.

Death smiled as she looked at the man. The elderly man kept his stoic gaze as he looked around Death's Domain. He then moved his attention to Death, who narrowed her eyes at him in interest.

"It's been a long time since you've come to talk to me, God of the Bible."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Room<strong>

Breathing softly, Issei opened his eyes, and the first sight he saw were dark-gray eyes. As his sight cleared, he found that Ophis was straddling on top of him.

"...Ophis." Issei said as he lifted himself up.

The Ouroboros Dragon kept her blank expression. Her facial expression didn't show any signs of what she was feeling, but the amount of emotions were growing deeper.

"My Issei. Are you feeling all right? I can no longer sense your energy. That worries me greatly."

Issei sighed as he sat up from his spot.

"Actually, I don't really feel anything at all, Ophis. I'm just really tired."

Ophis tilted her head in response.

'Perhaps it is because of the Solar Eclipse.'

Placing her head softly on Issei's head, Ophis gave him a kiss on the forehead, prompting Issei to widen his eyes a little.

"I shall stay here with you."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Living Room<strong>

Leiko and Great Red were silent as they sat on the couch. The cousin of Issei seemed to have a embarrassed look on her face, while Great Red was smirking with a smug look on his face.

"Just say it."

"Shut up."

Anyone who insulted the Great Red would no doubt get a severe curbstomp to the face. However, Great Red was far too amused to notice Leiko's irritation.

"I'm serious. I saw you cuddling with Issei. I'm starting to think you have a...what do you mortals call it? A cousin-complex or something?"

A blush appeared on Leiko's face as she glared at the Apocalypse Dragon.

"Don't say something like that!"

"Humph. I don't why you're so uptight. Besides, you and Issei are adoptive cousins. I don't think it will matter."

"Listen you-"

KNOCK KNOCK

Before Leiko could finish her threat, someone knocked on the door from outside. Looking at each other, Leiko and Great Red narrowed their eyes.

"Rock Papers Scissors?"

"...Fine."

"ROCK! PAPER! SCISSORS! SHOOT!" Leiko and Great Red shouted simultaneously.

"Hah! Paper wins!"

"DAMN IT! Why do I always choose rock!"

Smoldering, Great Red stomped over to the door, and almost ripped the door off its hinges as he opened it. He grunted when he sensed that it was a Devil.

"What the hell do you want?"

Yuuto Kiba stood with his hand still raised, and his eyes widened. He wasn't expecting the True Red Dragon Emperor God to open the door.

"Well?!" Great Red asked impatiently.

"...Oh, sorry about that. I was wondering where Issei-san was."

Before Great Red could respond, Leiko took the opportunity to answer.

"Ise-itoko's upstairs resting. Why, do you need something from him?"

"Well, I-"

"Hey, Kiba-san! Check out this motorcycle!"

Both Great Red and Yuuto widened their eyes and looked to see Genshirou Saji about to touch a crimson-red motorcycle.

"WAIT!" Great Red screamed.

However, it was too late. Great Red's scream caused Saji to stumble, and lean onto the motorcycle. The motorcycle, due to Saji's weight, fell onto the ground, causing it to break.

"..."

"..."

"Um...sorry?"

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

To say the Great Red was angry would be the understatement of the century. Despite the fact that he was in his human form, there was literally steam emitting out of Great Red's ears.

Saji screamed in terror and hightailed it as the Apocalypse Dragon began to chase him. Turning around to face a surprised Leiko, Yuuto offered an embarrassed smile.

"I better go stop them from running to Kuoh Academy."

"Yeah, you do that."

Closing the door, Leiko sighed and sat back down on the couch. As she put her hand on her cheek, she shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, before she thought about it.

"You know what? I'm not even shocked anymore." Leiko muttered.


	11. The Moon God

**Death's Domain**

"This is a surprise. So, you've come out of the shadows of my Domain, after all these years." Death mused as she tilted her head.

Riser stood in shock and astonishment. He just couldn't believe it. He, along with some of the youngest generation of Devils, were unaware of the death of the Biblical God. And now here he was, standing right in front of him.

"W-what the hell is this?" Riser asked as his voice shook.

Ignoring Riser's stuttering, Death moved past him, stopping in front of the God from the Bible.

"What is your reason for coming out today, Biblical God?"

The God from the Bible, his power radiating throughout Death's Domain, stood tall and proud, as he looked at the entity of despair and destruction.

"That boy. The son of the Shinto Goddess Amaterasu. When he transformed into that behemoth of a Phoenix, I could sense his life force fading away."

"What?" Riser asked as he looked over to Death. "I thought you said that Issei Hyoudou was now a manifestation of Life and Death."

"Hmm," Death hummed as she tilted her head, "I did say that. But now the Biblical God says differently. Would you care to explain, God of the Bible?"

The God of the Bible nodded his head as his energy flared outwardly.

"Shinigami. You were originally correct when you said that Issei Hyoudou was a force of Life and Death. However, when he transformed into that beast, the energy of the Phoenix force within him started to disintegrate."

"Hmm." Death hummed as she crossed her arms, "How strange. The force of the Phoenix is what has kept the lost souls from devouring him."

"That is true," The Biblical God said as he nodded again, "However, the time he remained in that transformed state, the energy of the Phoenix slowly began to deplete. If I hadn't cut off the horn of that...Death-Phoenix form, Issei Hyoudou would have ceased to exist."

Death widened her eyes slightly. She certainly wasn't expecting that.

"How interesting. So the transformation my Darling obtained...ultimately depletes his life force. Hmm."

Riser shook his head in confusion.

"I don't get any of this. So is Issei Hyoudou dead? Or is he alive? Which is he?"

God closed his eyes as he put his hands behind his back.

"His life force...at this point is undetermined. The will of the Phoenix represents when his life force is at zero. However, his life force also rises occasionally."

"But You're not making any sense," Riser began as he crossed his arms, "You say his life force lowers itself to zero, and yet you're also saying that his life force is rising as well. I don't understand."

Death stared at the Biblical God for a moment, before she smiled knowingly.

"Well, well, well. This is a surprise. I never expected that you would do this to my Darling Issei."

"Do what?" Riser asked as he moved his attention to Death.

"Because the Phoenix force within Issei deteriorated as a result of his transformation, it no longer had the energy to keep him alive. That is why I cut Issei's horns when he was transformed, so I could help him with my next plan."

"What did you do?" Riser asked.

Behind Riser, Death was smiling, greatly amused at the Biblical God's actions.

"I infused a portion of my own soul within Issei Hyoudou, Riser Phenex," God spoke as his energy spiraled outwardly. "The soul that now exists within the son of Amaterasu, is now battling against the force of the Phoenix, without the awareness of Issei Hyoudou himself."

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara (At the Home of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto)<strong>

Tsukuyomi stood with a frown on his face as he manipulated the energy of Moon. As he sensed throughout the energy signatures of Earth, he could not decipher the signature of his brother Susanoo.

"Keh! How foolish! The bastard must have gotten himself killed. Perhaps, Amaterasu's spawn is more powerful than we expected."

His eyes narrowed as he attempted to enhance his senses.

"What a surprise. I don't sense my nephew's energy signature at all. Either he and Susanoo both killed each other, or he's such a frightened child that he decided to suppress his energy signal. Humph."

"Tsukuyomi-sama."

The God of the Moon turned around to see that another presence was with him. It was a young woman with long black hair and clear eyes. She seemed to have a great height, towering over Tsukuyomi himself. Her expression seemed to set into a permanent stoic look.

"What are you doing here? You know I do not like being disturbed."

The girl bowed her head down in respect.

"I apologize for my intrusion. Please forgive me."

"Humph. Speak up. What is your reason for interrupting me?"

The girl lifted her head up and looked at the Moon God with her green stoic eyes.

"It is your son. He is starting to move about."

At this revelation, Tsukuyomi widened his eyes in horror.

'No!'

Losing his focus on manipulating the energy of the Moon, Tsukuyomi quickly transmitted into his house. Reappearing within a dark room, the God of the Moon allowed his body to emit a bright light. Looking around the room, Tsukuyomi spotted a large and imposing figure laying on top of a sturdy bed.

Tsukuyomi narrowed his eyes as he walked over to the person. It was light-skinned young man with long spiky black hair that reached his mid-back, and short bangs that framed his forehead. He appeared to be very tall with a well-built frame. He also wore white pants with a dark-black sash.

Narrowing his eyes further, Tsukuyomi lifted his hand up, and formed a silver luminescent-like sphere of energy. As though he sensed the person above him, the young man stirred in his sleep.

"Uhhh..."

Moving his head to the right, the young man groaned and opened his eyes, revealing black orbs of sight. His expression appeared to be saddened yet eerily calm. Tsukuyomi noticeably stiffened at the look the young man was giving him.

"Father," The young boy began quietly, "What are you doing...?"

Suddenly, the young man's pupils shrunk, and he rose up. Tsukuyomi widened his eyes and increased the size of the energy sphere, placing into his son's face.

"Yoru!"

The young man named Yoru grunted as he grabbed his father's face. Tsukuyomi gasped as he tried to endure his son's vice grip. Seconds later, Yoru gripped Tsukuyomi's face tighter, and threw him to another side of the room.

The God of the Moon struggled as he tried to get up.

"Heh heh heh heh heh!"

"?!"

Tsukuyomi gasped as he felt the floor shake, and he looked up to see Yoru walking towards him ominously.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Yoru laughed darkly as he reached to grab for his father.

An aura began to manifest around Yoru, as the floor shook once more. HIs physique swelled up slightly, as his hair began to spike upwardly. The aura surrounding him changed into a dark-silver like color. As his aura increased, Yoru's black hair began to assume a dark purple tint, and his skin began to darken.

"AH!" Tsukuyomi screamed out in pain as his son's grip tightened.

"HAH HAH HAH HAH HEH heh heh heh heh heh." Yoru's laughter started to fade into chuckles, and his grip began to loosen.

Yoru started to breathe heavily, as he felt his energy fade away. Tsukuyomi looked on in horror and shock as his son's aura disappeared, and the young man collapsed onto the floor, his face showing peace once more.

Holding in a shocked gasp, Tsukuyomi quickly transmitted away and reappeared outside. Letting out a shuddered gasp, the God of the Moon attempted to calm himself as he tried to manipulate the Moon's energy.

"...That was close. I should have been more careful. If I hadn't been able to suppress his energy at the last moment...he surely would have killed me."

Taking deep breaths, Tsukuyomi calmed himself and looked back at his house, fearing his son would awaken.

"Yoru...what is wrong with you, my son? Your power. Is it affecting the way you act? You show characteristics of a omnicidal psychopath."

Narrowing his eyes, he focused his energy on the Moon.

"I don't understand it. Amaterasu was able to create an entity with the essence of the Sun. Her offspring seems to be stable. So why didn't I achieve the same result? I created Yoru with the power of the Moon itself. Amaterasu has a stable son, while I have a son that thrives on insanity. What is wrong with him?"

Tsukuyomi clicked his teeth as he tried to think. His eyes then widened in shock.

"Is it because of Amaterasu's son? No, it's impossible. Yoru shouldn't be aware of his cousin. He couldn't be! The two have never even met before, courtesy of my sister sending him to Earth."

His eyes widening further, Tsukuyomi looked back at his house in horror.

"No, it couldn't be a coincidence. Is it possible that Amaterasu and I created our respective sons...at the same time? Or rather, were they born on the same day? The Moon and the Sun have been separated for a long time. The fact that Amaterasu and I are in the process of a Solar Eclipse..."

Tsukuyomi didn't know what to think. He had created Yoru on a mere whim, with the intention of acting as his successor of the Moon. However, there was something wrong with Yoru. Extremely wrong.

Shaking his head, Tsukuyomi sighed and focused on his concentration.

"I can't allow him to continue his antics again. Especially at a time like this. If he acts up again...everything will be ruined. After all, he was Plan B if Susanoo were to perish. Plus... the Khaos Brigade needs him."

* * *

><p><strong>Within Tsukuyomi's Home<strong>

Groaning in irritation, Yoru gritted his teeth and let out a deep growl.

"That damn bastard!" He cursed as he struggled to get up.

He hated his father with a deep passion. The man suppressed his energy the day he was born, in hopes that he wouldn't get too powerful. The God of the Moon almost succeeded, until something happened extraordinary happened.

When he was born, Yoru could sense the numerous energies around him. Some of the energies were far below him, and other were extremely above him. It didn't bother him in the least. However, one energy signature bothered him. It drove him to the point of extreme rage.

The energy of the Sun. He didn't care at all about Amaterasu, so he didn't pay her any attention. Her son, however, was the cause for his rage. As the embodiment of the Moon, Yoru opposed the Sun as much as his father supposedly did. However, Yoru's rage reached its breaking point, whenever he sensed his cousin's energy signature.

It drove him insane, with boiling raw anger coursing through his veins. Yoru never knew why his cousin's power irritated him. All he knew that it irritated him extremely.

Snarling darkly, Yoru clenched his fists as his hair began to take on a dark purplish color. His aura expanded throughout the dark corner that he lived in.

Although he could no longer sense the energy signal of his cousin, Yoru's rage didn't lower in the slightest. His rage (at the moment) was no longer directed towards Issei. Rather, it was directed towards Tsukuyomi.

His aura flaring out, Yoru took another step, until he fell onto the floor with a thud. As he felt his energy decrease, Yoru growled as his hair reverted to its original color. Mumbling, Yoru cursed his father to damnation, and slammed his head onto the ground, losing consciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>Kuoh Academy<strong>

"...What happened to you?"

Yuuto Kiba had a shocked expression on his face as he looked up at the lamp-post of Kuoh Academy.

Genshirou Saji glared moodily at Yuuto, who looked back at him in surprise. The pawn of Sona Sitri now had his underwear hanged on the edge of the lamppost.

"It wasn't my fault, damn it! How the hell was I supposed to know that he was an avid fan of motorcycles?!"

Yuuto chuckled nervously as he looked up at his friend.

"I think you should be grateful that he didn't kill you or anything."

"Humph! Grateful?! Do you have any idea how much this hurts?!"

"Hey, don't put this all on me. You were the one who knocked down his motorcycle."

"That's not the point! And why the hell is he so pissed off anyway?! He's the freaking Dragon of Dreams and Illusions! Couldn't he just wish up another motorcycle or something?!"

"Saji, he's the Apocalypse Dragon. We should all know by now that he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants, and not give a crap on what happens next."

"...Look, all I'm saying that he could have created a motorcycle without beating the crap out of me. You can't disagree with me this time, Kiba."

"Well he was probably so angry, that he didn't think to wish one up."

"Oh, that's bull-"

"Genshirou?"

At the call of his name, Saji looked down to see Sona Sitri, and Tsubaki Shinra. Blinking several times, Tsubaki rose an eyebrow.

"What happened to-"

"It's a long...painful story." Saji interrupted as he bowed his head.

"Well, while you're stuck up there, you can explain the story." Sona said in her usual strict tone.

"KAICHOUUUUU!" Saji wailed.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

"You tied him up on a lamp-post?!"

"You sound like I just did the most horrible thing in existence."

"Even if he wrecked your motorcycle, you didn't have to go that far."

"I could've killed him in spite."

"...Touché" Leiko said as she laid down on the couch.

Happy that the conversation was over, Great Red huffed and sat back down into the chair. A surge of energy began to manifest into his hand, before the energy formed into a magazine.

Tilting her head, Leiko got up and pointed to the Great Red. She opened her mouth, and then closed it, wondering if what she was about to say would anger the Apocalypse Dragon.

Ah, what the hell, she had nothing better to do.

"Hey, couldn't you have just...reanimated your motorcycle from the beginning?"

Great Red moved the magazine away from his face, and narrowed his eyes at Leiko.

"...Do you want me to transform into a female again?"

"Please don't."

"That's what I thought."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Room<strong>

Ophis tilted her head as she gently petted Issei's hair. Her dark gray eyes narrowed darkly as she peered at her mate.

'I can no longer detect my Issei's energy signature. It is as though as he is not here in front of me, and yet he is. My mate is strange.'

Despite her conflicting thoughts, Ophis held Issei closely. After Death had returned Issei, Ophis felt the familiar emotion of protectiveness course through her. Ophis felt nothing but love and affection for Issei. However, now she wanted to protect him.

As she held Issei close, Ophis' body began to glow brightly. The glow faded, revealing a taller and developed Ophis.

Her facial features became even more pronounced, with her dark gray eyes gaining a more colder and stoic mature look. The shine in her eyes seemed to fade away, only showing the color, pupils, and irises of her eyes.

Releasing her hold on Issei, Ophis got up and laid on top of him. Staring at him with her cold emotionless eyes, Ophis placed her hands on Issei's cheeks.

"I cannot allow you to get yourself into anymore trouble, my Issei." The mature Ophis stated in her toneless voice. Her voice had gained an even more sensual tone, however, the stoic and emotionless tone remained.

Putting her face close to Issei's face, Ophis stared at her sleeping mate.

"In order to ensure this, I shall watch over you. I, will constantly stay with you. I shall, protect you. Because Issei is my mate."

As she felt Issei's chest beating, Ophis narrowed her eyes and held Issei close to her.

"Mine, and mine alone."

The sky showed a different array of colors, due to the Moon blocking the brightness of the Sun. As citizens looked around, they noticed that this was perhaps the longest Solar Eclipse they had ever experienced.

However, seconds later the Moon began to move slightly. Light particles flashed through the darkness of the Moon. Finally, the light from Sun shone, brightening the sky once more.

The Sun shone through Issei's window, bringing light into the room. Reluctantly opening her eyes, Ophis rubbed her orbs of sight, and moved around a bit. Releasing her grasp on Issei, the Ouroboros Dragon looked around her mate's room, only to narrow her eyes at the first sight.

"Shinigami."

Death chuckled as she was the victim of the Infinite Dragon God's glare.

"Must you be so cold, Ouroboros?"

"Uhh..."

Before Ophis could respond, both she and Death heard a groaning sound. At the sound, they looked to see a slowly awakening Issei. The young man rubbed his eyes tiredly and looked up to see Ophis and the manifestation of despair.

"My Issei," Ophis began, "Are you feeling all right?"

Blinking several times to keep himself from falling asleep, Issei nodded.

"Yeah, I feel a little better."

Ophis' eyes noticeably softened at her mate's answer, and she snuggled against him just in case. Death chuckled at the display of affection.

"Shinigami-san? What are you doing here? Did something happen in your Domain?" Issei asked in confusion.

Death only smiled at Issei in amusement.

'Oh, if only my Darling knew what was transpiring inside his own soul. Hmm, it wouldn't be fun if I just told him about the God of the Bible. The Phenex's wish on the other hand...'

Smiling, Death walked over to the young man and petted his hair, receiving a slight glare from Ophis.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. You seemed to be very drowsy when I dropped you off here."

Nodding his head, Issei smiled as he felt Ophis hug him. He then widened his eyes as he noticed the change in Ophis' appearance.

"Ophis? Did you change your appearance again?"

Lifting her head up from Issei's chest, Ophis nodded stoically.

"Yes. I wanted to hold you close. You have been away from me for a long period of time. That does not make me happy. Not at all."

Blinking several times, Issei gave Ophis a saddened look. Looking at Issei with an unreadable look on her face, Death shook her head at Ophis.

"Ouroboros. Always so blunt."

Ophis narrowed her eyes at Death, but chose not to respond. As he looked at Death, Issei widened his eyes again when he remembered something.

"Shinigami-san. Where's Riser? Is he still in your Domain?"

"As a matter of fact, he is. Why do you ask?"

"...I was just wondering if he was going to come back to the world of the living. I mean, he has the power of a Phoenix. Doesn't that mean he can come back to Earth?"

"The ability to return from the dead, lies within my power, Darling. Only I can liberate the soul of every being. If I allowed him so, then yes, Riser Phenex could return to the world of the living."

Issei lowered his head as he pondered.

"However, he has refused."

"What?" Issei asked in confusion.

The Phenex Devil refusing to come back? Issei was confused. Why would Riser not want to come back to the world of the living?

Detecting the question on Issei's face, Death smiled and shook her head.

"It confuses me as well. I have offered the Phenex Devil many times to return him to life. Each time, however, he states that he did not want to."

Issei blinked several times in confusion.

'Why wouldn't he want to come back?'

"Although Riser Phenex wishes not to return to the world of the living, he does have a wish. He wanted me to tell you. Will you hear it, Darling?"

The young man didn't know what to say. All this time, Riser Phenex could have returned to life, and yet he chose not to. It didn't make sense at all. And now the manifestation of despair claims that Riser Phenex had a wish for Issei.

Lifting his head, Issei nodded, prompting Death to smile.

"His wish seems to be similar to that of a request, Issei. He wishes for you to look after his peerage."

At this revelation, Issei widened his eyes.

'Riser's peerage? Xuelan-san, Siris-san, and the others?'

While he made sure to use the wealth of the Phenex mansion to support the girls, Issei hadn't really spent a lot of time with them. Xuelan and Siris were the only girls he had come in contact with.

"Look after Riser's peerage?"

"Yes. That was his wish. He would like for you to take care of his peerage. To watch over them."

Setting his eyes into a serious gaze, Issei nodded to Death.

"I'll let him know how they're doing whenever I can." He said in a serious voice.

"That's good to hear. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that." Death smiled as she disappeared from Issei's room.

Sighing, Issei laid back onto his bed. He looked up to see Ophis giving him a glare.

"What's wrong, Ophis?"

His question was answered when Ophis placed her hand on his cheek.

"I would not like it if you were to die again anytime soon, my mate."

"Ophis..." Issei said sadly.

"Because if you were to do so, I could not be with you. Even if the Shinigami had the ability to bring you back, I doubt it would do so."

"You mean Shinigami-san wouldn't bring me back from the dead the next time?"

"No, it would not."

"But why wouldn't she bring me back?

"It would be keeping you in its Domain just to spite me. Keeping you in the Realm of Death itself. That...irritates me."

Issei looked up at the Ouroboros Dragon in confusion.

'...No, it couldn't be. Are Ophis and Death itself...competing? No, I must be hallucinating.'

Issei's thoughts were brutally shot down by the look on Ophis' face.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

**{I assume you're feeling better, partner?}**

**[Is Isssssei ok now?]**

Issei smiled gratefully at the concern of the beings that existed within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The young man had to admit that he hadn't felt better in a long time.

"Yeah. I'm good now. A little tired, but I'm more awake than before."

He widened his eyes a little in surprise when the Yamata-no-Orochi floated over to him, and sat comfortably on his lap.

**{Humph. It seems that the Orochi has taken a liking to you.}**

"Yeah. Although I can't imagine why." Issei said in confusion.

**{...}**

"...Hey Ddraig."

**{Hmm?}**

"There's something I need to ask you."

**{Ask away.}**

"...The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. I almost lost the sword during my battle with Susanoo. I lost you and Orochi. Even if it was for a short time, I didn't feel..."

Ddraig rose his head up, while the Yamata-no-Orochi tilted her head in her usual gesture.

"I didn't feel complete, in a way."

**{Are you asking if it is possible to bond the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi to you?}**

"Not exactly. I assumed it was already bonded to me the moment I touched it."

**{Humph. Then your assumption would be wrong. If you remember, the Fallen Angel Kokabiel was able to draw out the power of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and use it against you, without my consent.}**

"And you didn't stop him?" Issei asked in confusion.

**{There was no need to. I could already sense you were coming to the Grand Ise Shrine anyway. Also, the Fallen Angel didn't have any access to my true power at all.}**

"Hmm."

**{My power influences the state of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, partner. You just need to find out how to unlock the rest of that power.}**

"Well, does that power include bonding?"

**{Unfortunately it does not. Although it does have some abilities, such as the power to control the motion of the wind. But that's all. The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was merely a sword that was used to slay the Orochi.}**

**[HISSSSS!]** The Yamata-no-Orochi jeered in a hissing sound.

Her anger towards the Welsh Dragon immediately disappeared as soon as Issei patted her on the head gently. The Orochi let out a purring sound as she snuggled up to him.

"You change moods really fast don't you?" Issei noted.

**{Kukukuku. Aside from all that, you're going to have to find another way to 'bond' myself and the Orochi to you. I'm sure it won't be that difficult.}**

"Hmm." Issei hummed as he put his hand under his chin.

* * *

><p><strong>The Dimensional Gap<strong>

"So what are you asking me?"

"I'm basically asking is there a way for me...to bond with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. So it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

"...Hmm."

After finding out that the Great Red had left his house, Issei went to the Dimensional Gap to visit the Great Red. Strangely, his brother-in-law appeared to be more tired. Usually he would be ecstatic, what with performing crazy manuevers within the Dimensional Gap.

"Hell if I know, Issei." Great Red said as he rolled his eyes.

Issei frowned slightly as he looked at the sword in his hands. Staring at his brother-in-law curiously, Great Red narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Hold out your sword. As if it's pointing at me."

"...Like this?" Issei asked as he directed the sword in the direction of the Great Red.

"Yep." Great Red answered before he shot an eye blast at the sword.

"What the?!" Issei exclaimed in surprise.

The Kusangai-no-Tsurugi glowed an eerie crimson-color with black outlines, until it imploded, covering Issei in a cloud of smoke. Great Red stared at the mushroom cloud of smoke for a long time, until it faded.

"Humph. Now that's what I'm talking about!" The Apocalypse Dragon said excitedly.

Shining and glistening within the Dimensional Gap, was a deep Black Dragon Armor with crimson jewels that covered Issei's body entirely. The crimson jewels glowed with mist as power emitted from the armor.

"What happened?" Issei asked in great confusion.

"Humph. I'll show you what happened." Great Red boasted as he manifested a mirror in front of his brother-in-law.

Within the armor, Issei widened his eyes in response.

"What is this?"

"It's Dragon Armor. I can feel the power of that sword of yours."

"So is this an alternate form of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi?"

"That's exactly what it is."

Standing still for a moment, Issei lifted his armor covered hand up, and gripped it into a fist.

"Humph. Do I know how to make a suit or what?" Great Red bragged while he smirked.

**{Yes. Yes he does.}**

'Ddraig?'

**[Isssssei.]**

'Orochi-chan?'

**{Ah. So it is possible. Then again we are dealing with the Dragon of Dreams here.}**

'...This is amazing.'

* * *

><p><strong>At the Phenex Mansion<strong>

_KNOCK KNOCK_

Blinking several times, Xuelan got up from her seat to open the door. Her blue-green eyes widened at the sight in front of her.

"Issei? Ophis?"

Issei nodded, while Ophis stood next to him silently. Xuelan widened her eyes further when she noticed the halo floating above Issei's head.

"What happened to you?" The Chinese Devil asked as she pointed to Issei.

Issei blinked and looked to see where Xuelan was pointing, before widening his eyes in remembrance.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about this. Well, it's a long story. But first..."

Xuelan blinked in response as she waited for Issei to finish his sentence.

"Can you come get the rest of the girls, and ask them to meet me outside of the mansion? There's...something I have to say."

"S-sure. I'll go get them." Xuelan said in surprise.

As the Rook went to go get the rest of her fellow members, Ophis turned to look at Issei, who made his way out of the mansion.

"What are you planning to do, Issei?"

"...I'm keeping a promise. As it stands now, his peerage is my responsibility. I know that they're safe in the Phenex Mansion, but still."

Ophis tilted her head in response, but she didn't say anything more. Moments later, all fifteen members of Riser's peerage walked out of the mansion in a group. In front of the group was Xuelan, who looked curiously at Issei, and then back at the girls.

"Um, Issei-sama would like to speak to all of us. He wants to say something."

Issei felt a little tensed at the added honorific to his name. Looking around to see that the whole crowd had their full attention on him, Issei stood straight. He noticed that the girls had a look of confusion on their faces, probably due to the halo above his head.

"You all know me. You all know what I did, and what happened as a result. And while I did it in a bout of rage, I never enjoyed it. I never did, and I still think about it whenever I come to this mansion."

Looking up at his head, Issei pointed to the halo.

"You all are probably wondering why I have this halo on my head. Well, it's because I'm...well, I actually don't know what I am now. I'm either alive...or I'm dead."

At this statement, Riser's peerage widened their eyes. Moving his attention back to the girls, Issei nodded.

"I visited the realm of despair. And while I was there, I saw him. Your master."

"?!" Riser's peerage gasped in response.

The girls all widened their eyes further. They didn't know if Issei was playing with their emotions sadistically, or if he was telling the truth. The look on his face showed that he was completely serious.

"And your brother." Issei finished towards the blonde-haired girl, who looked up at him in surprise.

Ravel Phenex wiped tears from her eyes as she walked over to Issei.

"Y-you saw him? My Onii-sama?" She said in a quivering voice.

"Yes. I did. He asked about you girls, wanting to make sure you were all right."

Riser's peerage didn't know what to say in response. They weren't expecting this event to happen at all. Their former master was still 'alive'.

"If that's true then, why isn't Onii-sama back here with you?" Ravel asked.

Issei gave Riser's sister a sad look.

"It's confusing to me as well. According to Death itself, your brother wished not to come back here. He wanted me to do something though."

Riser's peerage were now silent, waiting to hear Issei's sentence.

"He wanted me to look after you guys. To take care of you. In spite of what he did...it seemed that Riser does care about all of you. And because of that, I'll make sure to keep true to his wish."

As he observed Riser's peerage, Issei noticed that some of the girls were starting to show tears in their eyes. Looking over at Ravel, Issei nodded to her seriously.

"Ravel-san. While I know what I did was wrong in your eyes, and even the rest of the peerage, I'll protect-"

Before Issei could finish sentence, he looked down to see Ravel hugging him. He felt his shirt become wet from the female Phenex's tears. Looking at her in surprise for a moment, Issei placed a hand on her back and patted it gently.

Watching her mate and Riser's peerage, Ophis tilted her head.

"My Issei, is a strange being. Perhaps that is why he is so unique."

* * *

><p><strong>Information Center<strong>

Issei walked into the information room, and looked around tiredly. Placing his hand under his chin, Issei went to move about, before a sound reached his ears.

_PING PING_

Widening his eyes, Issei looked up to see a holographic email pop up from the screen. Raising an eyebrow, Issei went to touch, revealing an attachment.

Issei Hyoudou, want to play some video games?

Blinking several times, Issei smiled and shook his head as he realized who it was.

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Mansion<strong>

"I'm a little surprised that you called me here, Azazel."

"Well, of course. I need somebody to play video games with after all."

Don't you have Yu- I mean Raynare-san and the other Fallen Angels?"

"Yeah, but they always win at video games. It seems they have been practicing."

"...So you're playing against me as a way to feel better about yourself?"

"Now you're catching on."

Issei shook his head but smiled as he and Azazel fought against each other. The game appeared to be world that revolved around combat. As he concentrated, Azazel set his eyes over to Issei.

"So, I hear there's supposed to be a gathering for the young Devils soon."

"There is?" Issei asked in confusion.

He wasn't aware of that. Then again, he hadn't been spending a lot of time at the Phenex Mansion to begin with.

"Oh yes. It's expected that the Devils from the highest class attend there."

"So I'm supposed to go to this gathering? I'm not a Devil." Issei said as he dodged another hit from his opponent.

"I know that. But the women of your peerage are Devils. Besides, they can't attend the ceremony all by themselves."

Issei lowered his head as he thought about Azazel's words.

'That's right. But even so. Hmm. I just wonder what's going to happen at the gathering.'

"Issei Hyoudou." Azazel began, "There is someone I would like you to meet. He used to be one of the Dragon Kings. I believe Ddraig knows him too."

"Hmm? Who would that be?"

"Humph. You'll find out after I win this match. It seems you're slipping."

"Ha! We'll see about that!" Issei said confidently.


	12. Meeting with the Dragon King

"So, Azazel. Who is this Dragon King you mentioned earlier?"

"Issei Hyoudou is eager to find out, I see. I like that."

Azazel smiled as he sipped his tea. After finishing their video games challenges, the Fallen Angel and Issei felt similar hunger pains and went to get something to eat.

Crunching on a cookie, Issei savored the taste. As he crossed his arms, Issei waited for Azazel to answer his question.

"His name is Tannin."

**{Ah. Tannin. It's been a while since I've heard that name.}**

'Did you know him well, Ddraig?'

**{Oh, indeed. You can even say that we were friends. I can only imagine why the Fallen Angel would want you to meet him.}**

"You talking to the Welsh Dragon, Issei Hyoudou?" Azazel asked.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Issei nodded to Azazel.

"Yeah, he just said he knows Tannin."

"Hmm. I'm not surprised. Dragons are well-known with the members of their own species. Anyway, Tannin was one of the Six Great Dragon Kings. In fact, the name Tannin recorded in the Bible itself is him."

Issei widened his eyes in surprise at the news.

'A Dragon of the Biblical note? That's a surprise.'

"This should come as a shock to you, Issei Hyoudou. Tannin actually became a Devil. As a result, the Six Great Dragon Kings became the Five Great Dragon Kings. His strength is at the highest peak of a Devil of the Ultimate-Class."

"So why do you want me to meet him?" Issei asked in curiosity.

"I figured that you spent so much time with the Ouroboros Dragon, that you actually needed some 'male' Dragons as friends."

"Well, I've got Great Red as a brother-in-law. Doesn't that count?"

"Well, of course. But don't forget, besides Ophis, some Dragons can change their gender."

"...What?"

"I mean as far as we know, the True Red Dragon Emperor God could also make itself become a female."

"Please don't say that ever again, Azazel."

"Hahaha. But I digress. Aside from my earlier statements, the reason I want you to meet him is because he's known as the Blaze Meteor Dragon. His fire attributes are stated to be equal that of the strike of a meteorite. He's also a legendary Dragon."

"So you just want me to meet him?"

"Actually, I want him to train you."

"Train me? Not that I'm not grateful for you suggesting it, but why?"

"Well, basing how I've seen you fight, I've noticed that you specialize in using brute strength. Granted, the opponents you've encountered wronged you to begin with, but I've seen you rush into battles without giving it a second thought. That could serve as a bad habit."

"...I see what you mean. So basically you want him to discipline me while in battle?"

"Precisely. You may have a lot of power, Issei Hyoudou. But you also need to learn how to be more focused in battle. Instead of charging, you need to think about your actions before you make them."

Issei remained quiet as he lowered his head.

"I've already made preparations, and I've informed Tannin about you."

Issei lifted his head up and widened his eyes.

"You have? That quick? Really?"

"Really, really. I've already scheduled an appointment for you to meet him. I'll pick you up right after the gathering of the young Devils." Azazel said as he smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"So you're going to see Tannin, huh? Humph, I remember that bastard."

"You guys weren't friends?"

"No, because he kept begging me to fight him. But I always ignored him."

"Well, apparently from what Ophis tells me, you ignored a lot of people in the past."

"Humph. I guess sis knows me so well."

Issei smiled as he conversed with the Great Red. When leaving Azazel's house, Issei only had the ceremony of the Devils in his mind.

Due to his absence, he was not familiar with the customs of the Phenex Devil family. Nor was he familiar with the customs of the Devils. Judging by the tone in Azazel's voice when he told him, it seemed that it would be important for Issei to take Riser's peerage to the gathering.

"What's up with you?" Great Red asked.

"Nothing really," Issei began as he crossed his arms, "There's supposed to be a Devil's gathering tomorrow, and I'm not really sure of what to do."

"Well, obviously you don't have to go. You're not a Devil."

"Yeah, but...I made a promise. And the girls are my responsibility now."

"Hmm. Looks like you got no choice."

"I guess I don't."

"Is Ophis going with you?" Great Red asked.

"Yeah. Did you want to come with us?"

"Keh. I don't want a bunch of damn Devils staring at me."

"Well, you're one of the strongest existences in the Universe. It'd be surprising if they didn't stare at you at all."

"Humph. It's annoying as hell."

"Well, maybe you could find a way to...hide your power level, and...maybe disguise yourself or something. They already know what you look like ever since you came to Class Observation Day, so... I guess you need to form another disguise."

Seconds later, the Great Red smirked and he nodded almost slowly at his brother-in-law.

"Good idea, little bro."

* * *

><p><strong>At the Gathering of the Devils (Next Day)<strong>

Issei, Ophis, and Riser's peerage walked over to a platform in a basement-like room. Issei widened his eyes as he looked at his surroundings.

"It looks like a weird room." He commented.

Turning around to face him, Siris slowed her pace down a little to allow Issei to catch up to the rest of the peerage.

"The meeting place for the Devils is in this building, Issei-sama."

"Huh? Siris-san, I'm not your master. You don't need to call me that."

There was a noticeable blush on the Knight's face, but she cleared it up quickly as she aligned with her peerage. Tilting her head, Ophis looked over at her mate.

"I sense a large number of Devils." She told Issei.

"Yeah. I sense them too."

As Issei and Ophis followed the peerage into the elevator, they looked around their surroundings once more. The elevator rose up quickly, then stopped, allowing the door to open.

When they took their steps outside, Riser's peerage, Issei, and Ophis found themselves in a wide hall. Looking around curiously, Issei spotted the large number of Devils. He looked to see some Devils split into two camps with weapons taken out.

"That looks like a problem." Issei said as he rubbed his head.

"Hey! Newby!"

Widening his eyes at the familiar nickname, Issei turned around to see a smiling Genshirou Saji.

"Saji-san?"

He hadn't seen Saji in a long time. After all, he was one of the first people who had talked to Issei.

"It's good to see you, Newby. So I guess you got your own peerage, huh." Saji greeted as he walked over to him.

Issei let a smile split his face as he shook Saji's hand.

"Yeah. They're my responsibility. So I had to take them to the gathering."

"Issei Hyoudou. It's been awhile."

Walking behind Saji, was Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra.

"Sona-san. Tsubaki-san. It's good to see you two." Issei said as he ceased in shaking Saji's hand.

Sona gave a polite smile as she noticed the Ouroboros Dragon behind Issei.

"It's nice to see you, Ophis."

"...You too." Ophis said in her usual monotone.

The rest of the Devils gathered amongst themselves again and were exchanging greetings. As he sat down in the seat where the Phenex Clan was reserved, Issei spotted Rias Gremory, and Sona with their respective peerages.

'Huh. I really don't know a lot of the Devils here. I mean I recognize some of them, but not everyone.'

He focused his attention when he spotted Rias standing up from her seat, with Sona following next.

"It's nice to meet all of you. I'm Rias Gremory, the next head of the Gremory family."

"I'm Sona Sitri, the next head of the Sitri family."

Next, a young man with black hair and violet eyes stood up to introduce himself.

"I'm Sairaorg Bael, the next head of the Bael family, Great King."

Following Sairaorg, was a boy with blonde hair. He seemed to have a gentle disposition about him.

"I'm Diodara Astaroth, the next head of the Astaroth family. Please take care of me, everyone."

Issei rose an eyebrow at the sight.

'That's weird. His voice is really soft. Almost innocent.'

'That is an oxymoron, my mate.'

Issei widened his eyes and looked to see Ophis giving him a sly smile.

'He is a Devil. A Devil is not innocent. It is completely against their nature.'

'Hmm. I guess you have a point, Ophis.'

The Ouroboros Dragon's smile widened.

'It is your turn to introduce yourself, my Issei.'

Issei widened his eyes to see all of the Devils looking at him expectedly. He noticed some of the Devils giving him mixed stares. He then looked to see Riser's peerage giving him looks as well. He widened his eyes further when he saw Ravel give him a confident nod.

Clearing his throat, Issei stood up from his seat.

"...Hello," Issei began in a quiet yet serious tone, "I'm Issei Hyoudou. Even though I'm not one of you, I'm here to represent and take care of the Phenex Clan."

Ophis tilted her head as she watched Issei introduce himself. The look on the Devil's faces seemed to soften. Nodding at the other Devils slowly, Issei sat down in his seat, ready for the gathering of the Devils to commence.

Looking over at Issei, Xuelan smiled and nodded to him.

"This is going good so far, Issei-sama."

"I-"

_Dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!_

Before Issei could speak, a crimson blast suddenly shot towards the ceiling of the gathering building. The blast was so intense, it caused a cloud of smoke. The Devils gasped in shock, and prepared for defense, ready to see who had the nerve to attack them.

The smoke cloud started to fade away, revealing a strange figure. With the shadows covering the figure, the cloud of smoke cleared immediately.

The silhouette revealed a young girl who appeared to be a bit older than Issei. Her waist-length crimson hair was far darker and longer than Rias Gremory's. Her face was obscured by the shadows, only showing her bright golden eyes. She also appeared to be wearing a biker outfit.

Issei widened his eyes as he spotted the girl. His eyes widened further as he sensed the tremendous power flowing from the young woman.

'Is that...?'

He looked over to see Ophis narrowing her eyes in annoyance. The Ouroboros Dragon shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Baka-Red. Up to no good once again. In a transformed state, no less."

"What?!" Issei exclaimed in shock.

Ophis turned to look at her mate and tilted her head again.

"Perhaps while Baka-Red is in this form, his name should be...'Girly-Red'."

"Wait. You're saying that's...?!"

The Apocalypse Dragon stood proudly at the frightened sight of the Devils. Great Red didn't even care about the Devils' shocked stares. Not even the usual annoyance could deter this moment.

Grinning widely at Issei and Ophis, Great Red only had three words to say.

"I'M BACK, BITCHES!"

* * *

><p>The True Red Dragon Emperor God was a being that didn't care what anyone thought about him. As a result, he had no shame in doing whatever the hell he wanted to do. And he proved his point as he remained where he was, floating below the ceiling he had just destroyed.<p>

'Yep. Just gonna float here and keep being awesome.'

While the Great Red was gleefully proud of 'herself', the Devils were the exact opposite. Some of them recoiled in fear of the Apocalypse Dragon, while the others (Rias, Sona, and the rest of their peerages) shook their heads in dismay. It wasn't that they hated the Dragon of Dragons.

They were extremely frightened.

Issei and Ophis on the other hand were completely calm. Well Ophis was. She's lived with the Apocalypse Dragon ever since they were born, so her expectations for his antics weren't exactly high. Issei was just surprised. Not at the Great Red's antics. He was more surprised at the Great Red's new appearance.

"So," The Great Red said as 'she' floated down towards the Devils, "What's for lunch?"

The Devils didn't respond, greatly unsure of what to say. Food was the last thing on their minds, and besides, they were just going to go through the plans they had chosen for the gathering of the Devils. In no way did they ever expect the Apocalypse Dragon to arrive in the Underworld. Nor did they expect Great Red to take upon a _female incarnation!_

They especially didn't predict the True Red Dragon Emperor God to arrive in the form of a teenage girl who appeared to be dressed in biker clothing.

**{Well. This is awkward.}**

"Well?" The Great Red asked in remarkable patience, "When are we going to eat? I'm starving."

"Baka-Red," Ophis chided, "You are in a convention. The time for consumption is not now. It is at a later time."

Great Red narrowed her eyes, but managed to turn her snarl into a grunt of impatience.

"You mean I made that badass entrance for nothing?!"

"Badass?! You destroyed the ceiling!"

Great Red widened her eyes and turned to look at a young woman who appeared to be around Issei's age. Issei followed his 'sister'-in-law's attention and saw the girl.

'Huh. She looks like a colder version of Tsubaki-san.'

It was a very incredibly beautiful woman who wore glasses, enhancing her cold and sharp gaze. She was also dressed in a blue robe which exposed very little skin.

Rolling her eyes, 'Girly-Red' crossed her arms.

"Well, what did you expect me to; walk in like a normal person?"

"It would've helped." Saji muttered.

Not really sure on what to do next, the Devils remained quiet. That is until Diodora Astaroth spoke up.

"Agares-san? I believe it's your turn to introduce yourself next."

The girl in the blue robe widened her usual cold and sharp eyes in surprise, and she struggled to compose herself.

"I am Seegvaira Agares. The next head of the Agares family, rank Archduke." She said in a nervous tone as she tried to avoid the presence of the Apocalypse Dragon.

* * *

><p><strong>The Phenex Mansion<strong>

"Well that was an incredibly awkward situation."

Issei sighed as he laid down on the grass. The day with Great Red at the gathering of the Devils was possibly worse than the day when the Apocalypse Dragon arrived at Class Observation Day.

"His antics, I'm used to. The fact that he took the form of a teenage girl is what surprises me."

The young man tilted his head as he thought about what he had said earlier to the Great Red.

'Then again, I did say he had to pick another disguise so he wouldn't draw attention to himself. I just didn't think he would choose that disguise.'

Shaking his head in order to clear his thoughts, Issei looked up at the sky of the Underworld. As he sat up, he tapped the halo floating on top of him, and frowned slightly.

Even though it appeared to be only an accessory, and served as a way for Death to keep a close eye on him, the halo in a way...gave Issei strange thoughts. It reminded Issei that he had died.

When he felt the inner world of his subconscious crumble, Issei honestly thought he had deserved to perish.

'I still think about it. I haven't exactly been a saint. I'm not the person who has the most purest heart. I'm not a Angel, Devil, or a Fallen Angel. Am I something completely different?'

He honestly didn't know what he was. He was never normal, that much he knew. That was the reason he told Ddraig that he didn't want anyone else to get hurt. It was because of him. Some of the beings who he had faced attacked him and his family just because of his own power.

He always attracted attention, which was something he never wanted to do. It was never his intention to attract attention from other beings. He never voluntarily interacted with beings himself. He only did so because he was introduced to them.

The young man sighed inwardly as he looked over at a sleeping Ophis, with the wind blowing through her long black hair. Issei's expression saddened as he scooted closer to her.

'I made a promise to her. I said I would always be with her, and stand by her side. I haven't been doing that a lot lately. It's my fault. Even after I told her I would always be with her, I end up dying in my own subconscious. I even said I wanted to die, so no one would attack my family anymore. But even I know, that'll never happen.'

As he watched Ophis sleep, Issei scooted over to her and rubbed her hair softly. He'd always wanted to be left alone. But even he couldn't deny the time he spent with Ophis, Great Red, and Leiko, was something he wouldn't take back. Even though Ophis and Great Red were more than capable of protecting themselves, Issei wanted to protect them too.

Gazing at Ophis with his soft brown eyes, Issei moved and kissed the Ouroboros Dragon on the lips. He then laid his head against hers, and closed his eyes.

"I've been away from you for a long time, Ophis. That won't happen again. I made a promise to you. And I intend to keep that promise. I haven't made true to that promise because...I'm me. I'm not used to...being intimate with someone. I'm only 17 years old, and I'm not a social person. But I'm willing to look past myself, so I can protect you."

"..."

"You're asleep right now, so you're probably not hearing this." Issei said as he chuckled for a bit. "But this time... I intend to keep my word. I will protect you. Even if I have to die again."

"...Such a strange mate. Saying foolish statements like that."

"?!"

Ophis lifted her head up, and looked at Issei with a sly smile.

"My Issei. You are a unique being. That is why I love you so much."

Issei widened his eyes in confusion.

"But why? I don't understand how a Dragon God could lo-"

He was cut off when Ophis claimed his lips once more, her tongue constricting over his. The Ouroboros Dragon placed her hands on her mate's cheeks, kissing him fully on the mouth. Seconds later, she released her claim, and sat on her knees.

"You are such a naïve boy. You are not perfect, my Issei. You have flaws. You have troubles. Do you not remember what you stated to me?"

"?" Issei made a questioning sound.

Ophis smiled wider.

"You said that you, Baka-Red, and I are a Trinity. Baka-Red is the Dream and Illusions. I am the Nothingness of Infinity. But you my mate, are the Nothingness that fills Infinity. You, complete me."

"O-Ophis..."

Issei didn't know what to say. He did say those words to the Ouroboros Dragon. Even though he was nowhere near the league of the Infinite Dragon God nor the Apocalypse Dragon, they still considered him a part of their...'Trinity'.

"That is why," Ophis began as she placed her face close to Issei's, "You are my mate. Not anyone else's. Do you understand?"

"I do." Issei said as he smiled warmly.

"I am glad you understand." Ophis stated as she kissed Issei on the lips once more.

"Look at you lovebirds."

The couple looked up to see 'Girly-Red' grinning down at them with her sharp teeth. While Ophis frowned at the Apocalypse Dragon, Issei merely stared wide-eyed. The Great Red grinned widely in amusement.

"Why did I take this form, you ask? It's simple. The form I take...it doesn't mean a damn thing to me."

"It's so weird," Issei said as he stared in shock, "You look strangely more frightening in this form."

"Tch," Great Red clicked her tongue as she smirked, "Funny. That's exactly what Cousin Leiko said to me when she saw this form."

As her dark red hair flowed in sync with the wind, Great Red took off her biker cap and threw it to Issei, who caught it.

"Yo, Issei Hyoudou."

Issei, Ophis, and Great Red looked to see Azazel walking towards them. Trailing behind him, was none other than Raynare, and another Fallen Angel by the name of Kalawarner.

"Hey." Issei greeted.

Azazel smiled as he nodded at Issei and Ophis. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw a red-haired beauty with bright golden eyes. The girl rose an eyebrow, and her golden eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Well, well, well. Who is this beauty, Issei Hyoudou?"

Widening his eyes, Issei went to intervene, until Ophis stopped him. As he went to question her, Ophis merely gave him a smile.

"Watch, my mate."

Smiling smugly, Azazel sauntered over to the young woman, who glared darkly at the Fallen Angel.

"Who might you be, my dear?" Azazel said in a smooth voice.

"The Dragon who's going to beat the shit out of you if you keep staring at me like eye-candy, you damn bastard!" Great Red said as she finally lost her patience.

Azazel widened his eyes and jumped back in surprise. He immediately took a few steps back and hid behind his two Fallen Angels.

Ophis smiled wider as she watched the Great Red's attempts to calm down.

"Damn dirty Fallen Angel! You're lucky I don't tear off your wings!"

Regaining his senses, Azazel looked over to Issei.

"Issei? Who is this young woman?"

"...Do you really wanna know who she is?"

Azazel cautiously looked over at the young woman, who looked about ready to tear his limbs off.

"I'm the Apocalypse Dragon, idiot!"

At that revelation, the former governor of the Fallen Angels promptly fainted on the ground. Issei, Ophis, Raynare, and Kalawarner stood silently, not knowing what to do in this situation.

Smiling wickedly, Great Red summed out her idea eagerly.

"Hey, let's steal his wallet!"

* * *

><p><strong>20 Minutes Later<strong>

'Damn. It's been 20 minutes, and he's still on the ground?'

Looking up at Raynare and Kalawarner, Issei nodded to them and smiled.

"It's been awhile, Raynare-san. And you too, Kalawarner-san. You guys decided to come with Azazel too?"

Raynare smiled as she crossed her arms.

"Actually we're here to serve as Azazel-sama's bodyguards."

"But it seems that we already failed at that job, seeing as a Dragon managed to make him faint." Kalawarner snarked in a deadpan voice.

Issei chuckled a bit as he put his hands behind his head. As he looked over at Great Red and Ophis, the young man sighed and walked over to the two.

"Hey, Red. Can I get Saji's wallet back?"

Great Red widened her golden eyes in indignation.

"How'd the hell did you know I had it?"

"Because Leiko told me Saji broke your motorcycle. And that you stole his wallet after you tied him up on the lamp-post at Kuoh Academy."

"He owes me a motorcycle!"

Issei sighed again as he pondered. Arguing with a powerful existence was no doubt a tedious task. However, he and Ophis both knew that the Great Red was just a delinquent. The Apocalypse Dragon wasn't evil, but that didn't mean it was a goody-two shoes.

"Well couldn't you just create money by just using your own power?"

The Great Red had the nerve to stutter in irritation and glare at Issei.

"I-I...damn it, I know I can do that! I just don't want to! Vritra's host owes me money because he broke my motorcycle! I will have retribution!"

"Couldn't you have also created another motorcyc-"

"It's the matter of principle, Issei!"

"What principle?" Ophis asked dryly.

Glaring at Ophis, Great Red huffed and handed Saji's wallet over to Issei, who smiled in response. Placing it in his pocket, he looked back up at the irritated Dragon.

"I'm gonna give this back to Saji-san. As soon as I come back, Azazel should be up and ready to go. Hopefully."

* * *

><p>After wandering around the Underworld for a long period of time, Issei finally found the Sitri Residence. He could sense the familiar surges of energies within the house. As he reached into his pocket to retrieve Saji's wallet, Issei sighed and lifted his hand up.<p>

_KNOCK KNOCK_

Seconds later, the door opened, revealing a familiar face.

"Ise-chan?!" The voice said excitedly.

'...Oh dear lord.'

"U-um...hi, Leviathan-san." Issei greeted.

The Satan with the title of Leviathan smiled cheerfully at Issei. She certainly didn't expect him to arrive at the Sitri Home.

"Come on in." Serafall offered.

Issei nodded gratefully and followed Serafall into the house. Issei silently praised the appearance of the house, smiling at the aesthetics of its design.

"It's a beautiful house, Leviathan-san."

"Hmm. Thanks for the compliment. So what made you want to visit the Sitri house today?"

"Well," Issei began as he showed the stolen wallet to Serafall, "the Great Red...stole Saji-san's wallet. So I'm giving it back to him."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you!", Serafall gushed. "Let me show you where Onee-chan and the others are."

* * *

><p><strong>Sitri Training Room<strong>

Issei opened the door to the room Serafall led him to, and looked around curiously.

'Sure is a spacious room.' He noted in his thoughts.

"Yo, Newby! Heads up!"

At the call of his nickname, Issei looked up, but his reaction time was too late. Before he could blink, he was suddenly launched across the air, causing him to slam against the wall. The walls in the training room shook from the impact.

Groaning, Issei dropped onto the ground, and laid against the wall. Shaking his head, Issei held his eye, and looked up to see Tsubaki Shinra looking down at him with a worried look on her face.

'Guess that's what I get for suppressing my power at that moment. I guess I need to keep my guard up more often.' Issei chided himself in his thoughts.

"Hyoudou-san?"

Chuckling a bit, Issei rubbed his sore eye.

"Y-y'know, that really hurt."

"My apologies."

Issei looked up to see Sona Sitri walking up to him with her usual stern expression.

"I didn't expect for you to come in this room, Issei Hyoudou. Usually my Onee-sama would have warned me beforehand."

"Yeah," Issei said as he sat up from his spot, "Sorry for coming here on such short notice. I just had to talk to Saji-san."

"About what, Newby?" Saji asked as he walked towards Issei.

Reaching into his pocket, Issei showed Saji his wallet, prompting the host of Vritra to widen his eyes in surprise.

"I've been looking for my wallet since the ceremony ended! Where did you find it?!"

"I-"

Before Issei could answer, Sona interrupted him and looked over to Saji.

"That's enough, Saji. You can talk with Issei Hyoudou after we finish training."

"Training?", Issei asked in curiosity, "What are you guys training for?"

"We're training for a Rating Game, Newby." Saji stated in a prideful tone.

"...What's a Rating Game?"

"It's a competition between two Devils and their peerages. It's similar to the board game Chess." Tsubaki put in her input.

"It's just like chess, huh?"

"That's right," Sona began, "We're facing Rias Gremory and her peerage. It will be a difficult battle between the two of us. Rias and I may be friends, but we both have different dreams."

"Dreams? Well if you don't mind me asking, what is your dream?" Issei asked.

"My dream is to build a school for the Rating Games in the Underworld. Where the low-class Devils and reincarnated Devils can attend without any discrimination."

"That's a very strong ambition, Sona-san." Issei said in admiration.

"Yeah well the higher ranking Devils sure didn't think so." Saji huffed in irritation. "They laughed at her for stating such a dream! Like they thought Kaichou's dream wasn't worth their time!"

"It's all right, Saji," Sona said as she remained stoic, "All that matters is that we should be training for the Rating Game."

Issei's eyes remained wide-eyed at the tone in Sona's voice.

'She seems really determined. She already knows what she wants to do for her goal. You gotta admire that.'

Smiling at the trio, Issei shot them a salute gesture, and nodded to them.

"Then I wish you guys the best of luck. I'll be rooting for you." Issei smiled.

If observed very carefully, Sona's eyes widened just slightly. Maintaining her stoic look, but choosing to flash Issei a small smile, Sona nodded to the young man.

"I appreciate your support, Issei Hyoudou."

"Yeah. Thanks a lot, Newby." Saji said with a smile.

Giving Issei a tiny smile, Tsubaki quickly reverted to her stoic expression.

"Hyoudou-san. I apologize for blasting you into the wall. It wasn't my intention."

"Nah, you're all right. But I have to ask. Where did that blast come from?"

Saji smiled in bashfulness.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Newby. It came from my Sacred Gear."

"You have a Sacred Gear?" Issei asked in surprise.

"Yeah. And so does Fuku-kaichou." Saji said as he pointed over to Tsubaki. "When I sent my blast towards her, she used her mirror to reflect it."

"Oh, so that's what the blast was. Man, I really should have kept my guard up." Issei chuckled as he rubbed his eye.

"Do you need me to heal your eye?" Tsubaki offered.

"No thanks," Issei answered as he shook his head and smiled gratefully, "I'm sure it'll heal eventually."

Tsubaki winced slightly at Issei's eye, and she walked over to him. Despite Issei's words, she wanted to help him.

"That eye looks extremely swollen, Hyoudou-san. Let me heal it real quick."

* * *

><p><strong>Back with Ophis, Great Red, and the Others<strong>

"Ah, Issei Hyoudou." Azazel said with a rejuvenated smile.

"Oh, good. You're awake." Issei said in surprise.

"Yes. I feel much better. Anyway, Tannin should be arriving here shortly."

"Tannin?! Why the hell is that bastard coming here?" Great Red said in an irritated voice.

Azazel noticeably stiffened at the Great Red's tone. The Apocalypse Dragon was already a feared being to begin with. The fact that the Dragon had taken the form of a biker girl, creeped the hell out of the Fallen Angel.

"Because Issei Hyoudou, in a sense, needs to be disciplined. I have noticed in his fights that he charges without thinking about the consequences. Even though the opponents he faced technically antagonized him to begin with, Issei still needs to learn how to keep himself under control."

Ophis tilted her head in curiosity.

"So Tannin is being used for the intention of teaching my Issei. I understand."

Crossing his arms, Issei looked up just in time to see a large shadow appear in the sky within his vision. It headed towards Issei, the Dragons, and the Fallen Angels.

_Doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!_

A Dragon that was fifteen meters tall landed in front of Issei, causing a cloud of dust to dance in the air. Glaring at the people in front of him, Tannin narrowed his eyes at Azazel.

"Azazel, you have some nerve openly entering Devil territory."

"Hah hah," Azazel chuckled, "Don't be so cruel, Tannin. After all, you said you would help me out. You're not really that mad about this, are you?"

"Humph." Tannin huffed in indifference.

The Dragon then looked towards Ophis, who stared back at him impassively.

"Ah, Ouroboros. I didn't expect for you to be here."

"Hello to you too, Blaze Meteor Dragon." Ophis greeted.

The former Dragon King looked over at the girl next to Ophis, and widened his eyes.

"Apocalypse? Is that you?"

Great Red's eyes twitched in irritation. The True Red Dragon Emperor God didn't really hate the Blaze Meteor Dragon. In the old days, Tannin occasionally wanted to challenge the Apocalypse Dragon, but was always ignored.

"Long time no see, Tannin."

Narrowing his eyes, Tannin moved his attention away from Great Red, and moved his sight to Issei.

"So, Azazel. Is this brat my student?"

"That's right." Azazel said in amusement.

"Hmm. I sense Ddraig within him. It's been a long time since I've seen him."

Looking Issei in the eye, Tannin nodded.

"Hey, brat. Tell Ddraig I want to talk to him."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

The world of Issei's subconscious was completely silent. The clouds moved vertically in a slow motion towards the sky. The skyscrapers stood tall, their white structures matching the color of the clouds.

The two beings sealed within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi glared silently at each other. Ddraig's eyes showed a determined and focused look, while the Yamata-no-Orochi's reptilian eyes showed rational thought.

Ddraig moved his head up, and with a smirk, he glanced down at the Orochi as he extended his claw.

**{Checkmate, Yamata-no-Orochi.}**

The Orochi widened her eyes in surprise as she watched Ddraig place his Knight piece, in front of her black King piece.

Narrowing her golden eyes, the Orochi hissed at the Welsh Dragon and picked up the chessboard, before throwing it off of the rooftop of where they were sitting down.

**[Ssssstupid Welsh Dragon!]** She hissed as she pouted.

Ddraig chuckled in amusement, before he looked up to see Issei floating towards them.

"Hey, Ddraig."

**{Partner. There a reason for you traveling into your own inner world?}**

"Actually yes. Tannin's here. He wants to talk to you."

**{Ah, Tannin. It has been a long time since we've conversed. I'll emerge in a moment.}**

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of Issei's Inner World<strong>

Opening his eyes, Issei looked down to see the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi manifesting in his hand. Holding the sword up, Issei directed it towards Tannin, who smirked in a familiar fashion.

"It's been a while, Ddraig."

**{Indeed it has, Tannin. So you're here to train my host, huh? I am glad you accepted Azazel's proposal. I can't have my host getting too soft after coming back from Death's Domain.}**

"Ah," Tannin said as he narrowed his eyes with a smile, "So this boy has died before. If he has already endured the realm of despair, then perhaps I'll have to torment him. Hmm. This is my first time training someone who is close with Ddraig."

**{Then it should be fun. I hope you haven't gone soft as well, Tannin.}**

"Please, don't insult me, Ddraig. Since the boy has returned from Death itself, then there should be no reason for me to hold back. So even if you die during my training, you can still come back. Am I correct so far, boy?"

Issei just shook his head.

'I'm not really familiar with the concept of Death, Tannin-san."

**{But the personification of Death is familiar with you, my host. Kukukuku.}**

Issei widened his eyes when he suddenly felt a chilling aura of malice directed towards him. Oh wait. It was directed towards Ddraig.

"What did the Welsh Dragon just say, my darling Issei?" Ophis said in a calm voice.

**{...I didn't say anything.}**

Issei held back a chuckle at Ddraig's tone of voice.

"Hah!" Great Red laughed in a mocking tone.

"So yeah," Azazel said as he lifted a hand up, "I want you to train Issei Hyoudou. Teach him what is necessary."

"Humph," Tannin huffed with a bit of pride, "Fine then. Leave it to me. I'll train him right past the brink of death! Are you ready, brat?"

Taking a deep breath, Issei closed his eyes and shook himself of his doubts. The only being he had trained with was Ddraig. Training with someone who was unfamiliar was going to be difficult for him. But...he knew he had to improve himself.

Issei gave Tannin a determined look as he nodded his head in assent.

"All right. I'm ready."


	13. Villains Plot, Heroes React

**Issei's Soul Room**

The soul room of Issei was far different from his inner world. For one thing, Issei could not access his own soul room. He could only access his subconscious. While the Red Dragon Emperor and the Yamata-no-Orochi resided within Issei's subconscious, and the seal of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the soul room of Issei Hyoudou was also occupied by two souls.

However, those two souls were far different from each other. The soul that has existed within Issei's soul for the longest time, was a manifestation of Issei's personality. It represented the raw anger and fury that Issei suppressed since he was a child. The manifestation was the source of Issei's powers. While Solar Energy provided the energy output for Issei, the manifestation of Issei's anger, in reality, was the true source of Issei's powerful transformations.

The longer Issei used the two stages of his Solar transformations, the manifestation of his anger only grew stronger. The increase in power was evident during the recent transformation in Death's Domain.

"Uhhhhhh..."

A garbled sound echoed throughout the darkness of Issei's soul room. The shadows cleared, revealing a creature that had the appearance of the berserker transformation of Issei. The monster's glowing eyes narrowed, covered only by the mask. Its horns, which curled upwards like devil horns, started to tremble as the behemoth charged a dark purple circular shaped blast.

"You are the manifestation of this boy's anger. And yet...you're such a pitiful creature."

The manifestation of Issei's anger growled out in response at the man. The man narrowed his eyes in response as a bright silver aura engulfed him.

"You are also the source of Issei Hyoudou's transformations. He achieved them all through rage, which is what allowed you to influence him. That is why I'm here. To keep you in check."

"RAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The manifestation roared, causing its aura to swirl around him.

The man revealed himself as an elderly man with silver hair, with a toned body. The portion of the soul of the Biblical God kept his stoic gaze upon the manifestation of Issei's anger.

"It's ironic. You were born as a way to contain Issei Hyoudou's turmoil. It's unfortunate that you also happened to be the source of his transformations. What's also ironic, is that although you desire to kill me, I cannot kill you, in caution to Issei Hyoudou. So I might have to take drastic measures."

"Guahhhhh..." The berserker transformation of Issei's anger let out a growl as it narrowed its eyes.

The soul of the God from the Bible closed his eyes in a peaceful manner.

"Unfortunately, I do not know what will happen when I perform this technique. However, it shouldn't cause any harm to Issei Hyoudou."

The aura around the Biblical soul glowed with a brighter light. The energy suddenly spread around the area of Issei's soul room, before latching itself onto the manifestation of Issei's anger. The monster clawed at the energy in an attempt to free itself.

"I pray this will not be consequential." The soul of the Biblical God said before his body pulled itself towards the monster.

Before the monster could do anything, the soul of the God of the Bible crashed into him, causing a flash of light to emit throughout the darkness of Issei's soul room. The bright light started to fade away, revealing a lone figure.

The new figure had the body of Issei's manifested rage transformation, the silver-white hair of the Biblical God, the manifestation's white horns and glowing eyes, and the facial structure of the Biblical God.

The merged being let out a deep breath as he looked around the darkness of Issei's soul room.

"Perhaps," He said in a dual voice, "The fusion I performed will assist me in balancing the manifestation in a more efficient manner. I just wonder how Issei Hyoudou's body will react."

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

The Ouroboros Dragon and the Apocalypse Dragon were quiet as they spent time together within the Dimensional Gap. Since Issei was training with Tannin, Ophis and Great Red saw no point in staying in the Underworld.

Even as she floated around in her home, Ophis felt...empty. The Dimensional Gap was her and Great Red's true home. However, she had spent so much time with her mate, that she no longer felt the desire to even travel to the Dimensional Gap anymore.

"Hey Ophis. You doing all right?" The Great Red's gruff voice echoed throughout the Gap.

Ophis looked up at the Apocalypse Dragon, who was back in his true Dragon form. The True Red Dragon Emperor God had become annoyed at the appearance of his 'Girly-Red' form, and decided to revert to his most powerful and original form.

"Yes. I, am fine. I feel..."

"Different?" Great Red finished.

"...Yes. Do you feel the same, brother?"

The Apocalypse Dragon took a pause in his answer. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he did feel different in a sense. It wasn't exactly a bad or negative feeling at all. In fact the Great Red felt...content.

"Humph. I guess the boy changed us in a way."

"Do you believe that?" Ophis asked in her emotionless voice.

"I do," The Apocalypse Dragon stated in a solemn voice, "I mean, hell, he did a damn good job of it. I remember when you and I first met."

"...Yes. Initially, I hated you because you stole my home away from me. I wanted you to leave my home."

"And I hated you because you were always so damn emotionless. You were always quiet, and you didn't show any emotion at all."

"..."

"Do you know the true reason I stayed in the Dimensional Gap at all, Ophis?"

"No. I do not. I assumed you did it because of the vast space that surrounds us. So you could perform those annoying tricks."

"Don't diss on my moves, Ophis! Anyway, I stayed because...well like I said before, you were always so...emotionless. You were too damn silent! I wanted you to do something."

"You, Great Red, were noisy. The aspect of silence and noise are the complete opposite of each other."

"Humph. That's true. But you remember what the boy said."

"Yes. I remember what my Issei said. We are a Triumvirate. Although my Issei is nowhere near our level, so he dubbed our union as a 'Trinity'."

"Hmm. I'll admit, out of all the beings I've encountered, Issei is a special one."

Ophis tilted her head at the Great Red. Perhaps for the first time since they had met, the Apocalypse Dragon wasn't acting like a delinquent. He was actually acting...mature.

"You are acting different, Great Red."

The True Red Dragon Emperor God huffed and rolled his eyes.

"I can be mature if I need be. The only reason I've acted the way I've acted in front of you and Issei, is because I don't have anything better to do. To be truthful, I really don't relish in being a delinquent. I just do it for the sake of doing it. As much as I don't want to admit it, Issei's changed me."

"Indeed, he has."

"...It's like Issei said, Ophis. I guess he was right when he said we are like siblings."

"I, am the Nothingness of Infinity. You are the Illusion of Dreams. We both represent a concept of Infinity."

"Damn right we do. And don't you forget that, Ophis."

"Do not worry. I, will not forget. You, shall take care to remember that too, Great Red."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

The Ouroboros Dragon and the Apocalypse Dragon gave each a small yet confident smile at each other. Even though the two entities have been at constant banter, they could not deny, that they developed a closer relationship. Almost akin to a relationship between close siblings.

"Hmm," Great Red hummed in curiosity, "I wonder how Tannin is going to train Issei. The boy seemed ready to accept Tannin's proposal so eagerly. He actually looked serious."

"My Issei is strong," Ophis began, "However, he is not balanced. The only master who has trained him is Ddraig. Perhaps Tannin will serve as a better coach to my mate. I just hope he will not end up in the realm of the Shinigami."

"You don't have to worry about that happening, Ouroboros." Great Red said in a serious voice.

Ophis looked up in an expression akin to surprise. The Apocalypse Dragon hadn't called her that in a while. Usually he would only do so if he was serious.

"Shinigami will bring the boy back to the world of the living if he ends up getting killed during Tannin's training."

Ophis narrowed her eyes slightly.

"I do not trust the personification of Death, Great Red. It has shown an interest in my mate. A desire to claim him as its own. Death is my natural rival, because it is something that can never claim me. Therefore, it is impossible for me to gain access to the realm of Death."

"It'll be fine, Ophis," Great Red nodded in reassurance, "If Death seems to have affection for Issei, then it'll probably allow him to return to us. Don't worry."

"...I hope you are correct. I, hope my Issei will not perish in his training with Tannin. If he does, Tannin will be in for a rude awakening."

"Humph," Great Red huffed in amusement, "Can't lie when I say I hope for Tannin's sake, that Issei lives through his session. I certainly don't want the Ouroboros to have a temper tantrum."

"...Don't push it, Baka-Red."

"What are you gonna do about it, Cthulhu?"

"..."

"..."

The Ouroboros Dragon and the Apocalypse Dragon then sighed and nodded to each other in respect. Yes, they indeed acted like siblings. After all, they were connected in a way.

"By the way Ophis," the Great Red began, "Do you still have Albion's jewel?"

"Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering why you haven't given it to Issei?"

"...By that question, I assume that you can sense his energy returning?"

Great Red nodded in response.

"Yes. That Solar Eclipse has finally ended. I can sense Issei's energy returning. But his energy isn't regenerating as fast anymore."

"It is due to Issei's life force, Great Red. The Shinigami stated that my mate was a manifestation of Life and Death. He is alive, yet he is also non-living."

"So the Solar Energy within his body is fluctuating at a slow pace." Great Red assumed.

"That is correct. So for now, I will keep the jewel of Albion in my possession. Until my mate's Solar Energy has returned to its normal state, I will keep Albion's jewel in my sight."

"Hmm. All right, I understand now."

"...My mate is a special being. He is unique. However, he is also foolish."

Great Red widened his eyes at Ophis' last sentence.

"How is he foolish, Ouroboros?"

Ophis set her dark gray eyes to Great Red.

"He states that he wishes to protect the both of us. He has promised to make sure we are safe. That is impossible."

"...Humph. Even if his desire to protect the both of us isn't all that necessary, it's still admirable. Hell, the fact that he even wants to do anything with us at all...proves that he cares for both of us."

Ophis tilted her head as her eyes softened.

"Yes. My mate. My darling Issei. His desire to protect us, while foolish, is a very unique goal. That is why, we shall protect him too."

"You make it sound like we're a team or something."

"That is what Issei has implied many times, as he dubs the three of us as a 'Trinity'."

Great Red nodded and huffed in agreement. As he looked down at the Ouroboros Dragon, his golden eyes seemed to gain a thoughtful air about it.

"Hey, Ophis. How is Lilith doing?"

"...My clone is doing well. She has been resting within my mindscape for quite some time."

"What the hell has been going on with her anyway? She seemed really...off."

"...Lilith is a combination of my darkest emotions, Great Red. Initially, she had a childlike mind, because she is a portion of my power. However, as my love for Issei grew, the possessive and obsessive side of my love for Issei, manifested within Lilith."

"Hmm. That explains why her eyes had a ringed shape to them. So she's back to normal?"

"Yes, she is. The reason she has not manifested is due to her need to rest. I, shall summon her here."

An aura manifested around Ophis, and a pool of energy separated from her, forming into Lilith. The clone of the Ouroboros Dragon opened her eyes, revealing a softer dark brown color. Looking up slowly, Lilith tilted her head.

Great Red looked cautiously at his younger 'sister'.

"Yo, Lilith. You all right?"

Blinking a few times, Lilith's lips curved upwards into a familiar smile, and she transmitted on top of Great Red's scales. Great Red huffed, but he couldn't help but smile slightly in response.

"Baka-Red...comfy." Lilith said in her usual childish voice.

Ophis let a small smile cross her face as she tilted her head. The Great Red closed his eyes as he felt Lilith sleep softly on top of him.

"I, am better now," Lilith said as she looked down at Ophis, "Thank you, Original."

"You are welcome, Lilith." Ophis said as she smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Leiko's House<strong>

Leiko Hyoudou laid on her bed, watching the flowing motion of her ceiling fan. Her hair was sprawled about in an awkward way, a sign of tiredness in the young woman. As much as she tried, she couldn't stay awake.

Leiko blinked her crimson-eyes in an attempt to regain consciousness. A lot of thoughts were present in her mind. So many thoughts. She didn't even know how to comprehend what she was feeling.

Sighing, Leiko lifted herself up from her spot, and sat more comfortably on her bed. Her eyes closing ever so slightly, Leiko shook her head and placed her hand on her forehead.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback (11 Years Ago)<strong>

_A twelve-year-old Leiko Hyoudou tilted her head curiously as she closed the door to her parent's car. She had convinced her parents to let her visit the Hyoudou residence. In reality, she wanted to see how her little cousin was doing. Even though Leiko knew how quiet and reclusive her cousin could be, she still wanted to spend some time with him._

_Waving goodbye to her parents, Leiko went to walk over to the Hyoudou residence, and lifted her hand up to the door._

_KNOCK KNOCK_

_Seconds later, the door opened, revealing a woman with brown long hair in a ponytail. Her soft brown eyes widened in surprise as she looked down at Leiko._

_"Leiko-chan! It's so good to see you!" She said happily._

_Leiko smiled up at Mrs. Hyoudou and hugged her._

_"It's good to see you too, Auntie Hyoudou! How have you been?"_

_"I've been good. My husband's at work, so hopefully he'll have a chance to see you before you have to go."_

_Mrs. Hyoudou led Leiko into the house, allowing her to familiarize herself with the appearance. As she looked around the house, Leiko set her attention to Mrs. Hyoudou._

_"So how's Issei? I've been wondering how he is."_

_"Well, we just came back from getting ice cream. He had a rough time at school today."_

_Leiko widened her eyes in surprise._

_"He did? What happened?"_

_Mrs. Hyoudou sighed as she crossed her arms._

_"Some of the kids were bullying him because of his right eye."_

_"That again? I don't understand. Why don't they just leave him alone?"_

_"They're kids, Leiko-chan. Kids don't know any better at a young age."_

_Leiko sighed as she frowned._

_"Well, is he okay now?"_

_"He's been upstairs in his room since we came home. If I know my sweetie, he's probably watching the sunset. He's usually tired as soon as the Sun falls. Would you like to see him?"_

_"Yeah. I would."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Issei's Room<strong>_

_A six-year-old Issei Hyoudou stood on top of his toy box, watching the Sun descend. As he looked outside of his window, Issei covered his right eye with his hand, his soft face set into a saddened look._

_From behind him, his room door opened, revealing Leiko. Leiko's crimson eyes softened as she gazed down at her younger cousin. Walking towards him, Leiko knelt down on her knees, and she smiled gently at him._

_"Hey there." She greeted softly._

_Jumping a little, Issei looked to the side to see his older cousin smiling at him. Remaining quiet, Issei nodded to her. Leiko's smile noticeably faltered at her cousin's quietness, but she regained her composure._

_"You're watching the Sun again, huh?" Leiko said as she watched her cousin._

_Issei nodded again, and moved his attention back to his original line of sight. Leiko inwardly sighed and looked around her cousin's room._

_Even for the room of a six-year-old, it was surprisingly clean. The toys and items were clattered in an orderly fashion, while the bed was in the middle of the room. The window was wide enough to shine through the room entirely, granting a bright light throughout the area._

_Looking back at her cousin, Leiko widened her eyes slightly._

_'He's covering his right eye again.'_

_Sighing, Leiko slowly moved her hand and placed it upon Issei's own. The boy looked up at his cousin, whose smile seemed to soften._

_"You shouldn't listen to those kids. I think it's cool that you have different colored eyes."_

_Issei widened his eyes at his older cousin's compliment. Leiko smiled wider and moved Issei's hand away from his eye, revealing the orange-yellow color that contrasted with the color of his left eye, which was a doe-brown color._

_Issei lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with Leiko. Leiko only sighed and placed her lips on Issei's cheek._

_"It's all right to be abnormal. After all, the world would be a little boring if everyone was normal." Leiko said._

_Issei still didn't say anything, but he lifted his head, his way of showing Leiko that he was listening. He then moved his sight back to the Sun. While watching her little cousin, Leiko looked out of the window._

_"I'll keep you company for a while. Is that okay with you?"_

_It was almost instantaneous, but Leiko spotted Issei nodding his head in response. Smiling, Leiko scooted closer to her cousin, as she and Issei watched the cycle of the Sun._

* * *

><p><strong>End of Flashback<strong>

Leiko looked up at the ceiling, recovering from her memories of her interactions with Issei. Shaking her head, Leiko sighed and laid down on the bed.

"He's changed so much." Leiko said in a solemn tone. "So, so much."

The Issei she knew while in her younger days seemed to be a separate entity to the Issei she knew currently. The younger Issei was a quiet child. He wanted nothing to do with anyone, with the exception of his family.

Whenever Leiko visited him, only she would talk. It was always a one-sided verbal conversation between her and Issei. Leiko spoke, and Issei always listened. He was such a strange child. But now, as Leiko thought about the present Issei, he was entirely a new being.

'Every time I see him...I think about the times we've spent together as children. I still can't believe how much he's changed.'

Her cousin was by no means a normal being. Leiko knew that from the start. She knew it the day Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou introduced Issei to Leiko and her parents. She was only six years old when she first met Issei, while the latter was still a newborn. When she looked at the color of Issei's right eye for the first time, Leiko didn't really have a reaction. She just accepted Issei as a member of the Hyoudou family.

Placing her head softly on her pillow, Leiko sighed and closed her eyes.

"My Ise-itoko...is such a strange boy. But he wouldn't be Issei if he was normal."

* * *

><p><strong>20 Days Later<strong>

It was the day of the battle between Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri. The location of their game was at a place full of tables. They appeared to be at restaurants with dining floors. As Rias and Sona walked with their respective peerages, an announcement echoed throughout the location.

[Everyone, I, the "Queen" of the Lucifer group, Grayfia, will be carrying the role of arbiter in the "Rating Game" between the Gremory group and the Sitri group on this occasion.]

[In the name of my master, Sirzechs Lucifer, I will watch over the battle between these two families. It's a pleasure to be here.]

[To get right to the main topic, the battlefield for today is the department store within the neighborhood of the school "Kuou Academy" that Rias-sama and Sona-sama attend, which has been prepared within a separate space as the game field.]

Rias and Sona smiled at each other, a spark of lightning shown between their energies. They were the best of friends, but they were also long time rivals.

"Are you feeling lucky, Sona?" Rias challenged.

"Hmm, shouldn't I be asking you that question, Rias?"

Smiling at his master's rebuttal, Saji looked over to Yuuto.

"Hey, Kiba-san. Are you ready for our match?"

Yuuto smiled in response.

"Most definitely. I can't wait to see how much I've improved."

"Same for me. I hope Newby makes it in time."

"Oh, Ise-san's coming?"

"Yeah, he said he was going to root for Kaichou and the rest of us."

[It is now time to begin. Furthermore, the time limit for this game will be a blitz-style of three hours. Then without further ado, game start.]

* * *

><p><strong>With the Spectators<strong>

A large crowd of Devils and Fallen Angels watched the battle between the Gremory and Sitri peerages with great interest. The two masters of their respective peerages were a part of the Rookies Four, so it was bound to be an impressive battle.

Among the viewers, were Azazel, and the Blaze Meteor Dragon, Tannin.

"This should be a good battle. What do you think?"

"I'll believe it when I witness this battle, Azazel."

"...Always so harsh in your opinion, Tannin."

"Humph. I never said I was getting soft."

"Hmm, touché. So, how is Issei Hyoudou doing? Was his training worth it?"

"...The boy is resilient, Azazel. Even when he was bleeding profusely, and his bones broken from the constant exhaustion, he still urged on. I must admit, he has made an impression upon me."

"...Hmm. Did he transform at all?"

"No, he didn't. I wanted him to endure my training while he was in his normal state. Although I'll admit I was a bit surprised when Ddraig informed me about the presence of the Yamata-no-Orochi. I certainly didn't expect that."

"Oh. Well that's new. I had no idea that another soul was sealed within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi."

"Humph. The brat is full of surprises, Azazel."

"Yes, he is. Hey, let me ask you something. Could you sense Issei Hyoudou's energy signature at all?"

"...During my training regimen, I could sense the brat's energy fluctuating ever so slightly. At times, his energy became erratic, and at other times, his energy seemed to disappear all together. From that point on, I could only sense the energy signatures of Ddraig and the Yamata-no-Orochi."

"Hmm. So his energy was fluctuating. That's strange."

"Why is it strange, Fallen Angel?" Tannin asked in his warrior-like voice.

"Issei Hyoudou's energy was so vast, that if he ever released it, his power could be sensed throughout the Underworld. But now...it's like I can't even sense his energy structure anymore."

"Well like I said, Azazel. His energy fluctuates wildly. To the point that it could no longer be sensed at its lowest point. The boy's energy structure is like an enigma."

Azazel pondered as he put his hand under his chin.

"...Where is Issei Hyoudou now?"

"Well now that the training is over, the brat said that he wanted to cool down and take a break. I figured he deserved it, seeing as he managed to impress me."

"...So you say he didn't transform at all. And he only used the souls within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi?"

"That's right."

"Hmm. Interesting."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

**{Humph. Tannin's training regimen was certainly interesting.}**

**[Is Issssei okay?]** The Orochi said in a worried voice.

**{Our host should be fine, Yamata-no-Orochi. Tannin's just lucky his training didn't kill Issei, or else Ouroboros would have been pissed. God knows the Shinigami wouldn't bring him back just to spite Ophis.}**

The Orochi tilted her head, and sent her attention to the sky of the Inner World. Narrowing his green eyes, Ddraig went to soar around Issei's Inner World, making sure to avoid the skyscrapers.

**[Welssssssh Dragon.]** The Orochi said in her usual hiss.

Turning back around, Ddraig looked back at the serpent, who pointed up to the sky. Following the Orochi's direction, Ddraig looked up. His green eyes widened in shock.

Floating above the Welsh Dragon and the Orochi, was a figure with a pale-white body. He had silver-hair with white devil-horns, glowing eyes, and a face with traits of wisdom.

**{What is this? I sense a great power within this being! It's familiar, and yet, it's ancient.}**

The spirit looked down to see the Red Dragon Emperor, and he descended down towards him. Ddraig remained silent as the spirit looked him in the eyes.

"It's been a long time, Welsh Dragon."

**{...Who are you? Your energy signature...feels strange. I sense two energies within you.}**

"I know that it is confusing. But allow me to explain."

* * *

><p><strong>Rias Gremory's Peerage vs Sona Sitri's Peerage<strong>

The battle between Gremory and Sitri was no doubt an impressive battle. However, like many battles, they eventually must come to an end.

Standing in front of each other, Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri smiled bitterly at each other.

"Would you care to explain why you chose the roof, Sona?"

"Isn't it obvious, Rias? The King must survive until the end. That is the duty of the King. If the King is defeated, the game would be over, right?"

"That's right. Now then, let's settle this, Sona."

Narrowing her eyes, Rias took a step forward.

An aura of water manifested around Sona, and she formed into the projectile of an attack.

Manipulating her energy, Rias summoned a crimson blast, and fired magical bullets at her best friend. The bullets took the shape of a softball-like projectile.

_Zabun. Zabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan_

Sona narrowed her eyes and manipulated the energy of the water. She then formed the water into a wall, allowing her to stop Rias' bullets. As soon as the bullets hit the water wall, the liquid evaporated.

"Now then, Rias. I shall thoroughly display my water techniques to you."

Using her magic, Sona transformed a large amount of the water into hawks that flew in the air, serpents that slithered on the ground, valiant lions, wolves that herded together, and several Dragons.

Rias smiled with a sense of fearlessness.

"Just as I wished for, my friend!"

Rias compressed the energy of her magic bullets and increased the number greatly.

"Impressive, Rias. But are you truly ready?"

"You'll find out, Sona."

Both of the Devils stood ready. Then, the two of them started to unleash their attacks at each other.

Until a large explosion made itself known as the mall disintegrated to ashes. Rias and Sona ceased in their attacks and widened their eyes in surprise. A huge smoke cloud completely covered the silhouette that emerged in the shadows.

The shadow disappeared, revealing the ever smiling Diodora Astaroth with his hand in front of him.

"Oh, my. I didn't think I had this much power." He said in a mocking bashful voice.

"Diodora! What is the meaning of this?!" Rias exclaimed.

Diodora chuckled and shook his head.

"Forgive me, Rias Gremory. I just wanted to see what I could do with my newly acquired power."

"Acquired power?" Sona repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"DIODORA! What the hell are you doing?!"

Another voice made itself known for behind Diodora. It was a man dressed in light armor with a cape.

"I lent you the power of the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto and look at what you just did! You used the power of the Moon without my permission!"

Diodora widened his eyes and waved his hands around in defense.

"Shalba! Hold on! I merely wanted to test the power of the Moon! I was testing it, so I could use it against Amaterasu's son! Like you ordered me to!"

At this revelation, the crowd of Devils and Fallen Angels widened their eyes. Azazel and Tannin narrowed their eyes in distaste.

'So yet, another person is after Issei Hyoudou. He sure does attract a lot of people, whether the attraction is intentional or unintentional.' Azazel noted in his thoughts.

Shalba Beelzebub narrowed his eyes and summoned a sphere of light. He then shot it towards Diodora, piercing the young Devil in the chest.

"Humph. Pitiful. You just couldn't resist the temptation to wield the power that is the opposite of the Sun."

Rias and Sona looked on in great confusion and horror. They had no idea what Shalba and the late Diodora were talking about. And to top it all off, Shalba had just murdered Diodora in cold-blood.

Shalba smirked as he looked at the two members of the Rookie's Four.

"So, might you Devils know where the son of Amaterasu is?"

"..."

"..."

"No? Then I guess I will have to find him myself."

"...I'm right here."

At the sound of the serious voice, Shalba looked up to see a young man with brown hair and matching colored eyes. Compared to his original hairstyle, his hair was a bit longer, and his height increased slightly. He wore a long-sleeved black coat, representing the presence of the Yamata-no-Orochi. The coat also had a crimson-red lining, representing the Red Dragon Emperor.

A deep black glove covered the young man's right hand, with chains of energy that spiraled up with his sleeveless right arm. In his right hand, contained the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Azazel widened his eyes slightly as he peered up at the young man.

'Hmm. You've really outdone yourself, Tannin. He looks so different. I don't sense any energy within him, but...I feel a powerful presence surrounding the area. It's amazing.'

Shalba crossed his arms as he smirked.

"Hmm. I don't sense any energy within you at all. It is as though you are not even here."

The young man calmly ignored Shalba, and looked towards Rias and Sona.

"Rias-san. Sona-san. Are you two all right?"

"...Issei." Rias said breathlessly.

"Issei Hyoudou." Sona said in surprise.

"Don't ignore me when I'm talking to you, son of Amaterasu." Shalba said in annoyance.

Maintaining his calm look, Issei set his sights over to the Devil.

"Shalba. You said that Diodora was supposed to engage in a battle with me. And yet you killed him."

"That's right. I specifically ordered him to conserve his power. He didn't listen."

"You also said you gave Diodora the ability to wield the power of the Moon."

"Yes, I indeed did say that. What is your point, son of Amaterasu?"

"Why did you want him to fight me?"

"..." Shalba didn't respond. Then the Devil smirked and narrowed his eyes. "Wouldn't you like to-?"

"...Shalba." Issei interrupted.

Shalba narrowed his eyes further, but he allowed Issei to speak.

"Let's talk somewhere else. The Devils and Fallen Angels look a little shocked at what just happened."

"...Hmm. Very well." Shalba said as he summoned a portal. "We'll meet in the Dimensional Gap, son of Amaterasu."

As Shalba disappeared, Issei remained where he was, staring calmly at the ruined field of the former battle locatoin between Rias and Sona. He then closed his eyes, appearing as though he was concentrating.

Rias widened her eyes slightly at the motionless Issei.

"Issei. Why aren't you moving?"

Seconds later, Issei opened his eyes and looked at the crimson-haired Devil.

"I don't need to move at all. It was coincidental that Shalba would choose the Dimensional Gap to speak with me, seeing as that's where Ophis and Great Red are at. If Shalba was interested in me, then that means that the plans he had, involved the most powerful existences."

"So what is Shalba planning to do?" Sona asked in curiosity.

"I'd be lying if I said I knew what he was planning," Issei began as he looked at Sona, "But if I know Ophis and Great Red, they're still in the Dimensional Gap. After all, it's their original home."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

**{This is too much to take in.}**

"Your confusion is understandable, Red Dragon Emperor."

**{Let me see if I have this straight. The progenitor of my host's transformations...is the manifestation of his anger?}**

"That's correct."

**{And you, the very portion of the soul of the Biblical God. You merged with the manifestation of Issei's anger.}**

"Indeed."

**{Does the fusion...affect Issei's body?}**

"...That I do not know of, Ddraig. I noticed that Issei Hyoudou has improved considerably. I could feel his power surge throughout his soul."

**{You would be correct. The Blaze Meteor Dragon, Tannin, trained my host.}**

"Hmm. Then his energy structure should be returning to its stable condition. As of right now, the energy within his body is fluctuating."

**{So are you the new manifestation of Issei's power?}**

"...Until the solar energy from the Sun fully regenerates his energy, only time will tell."

The Yamata-no-Orochi tilted her head as she listened to the conversation between Ddraig and the new manifestation of Issei's power. She was beginning to understand more of the English language, so she knew the subject was about the kind one.

[Isssssssei.] The Orochi purred.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

Great Red opened his eyes and looked down at Ophis, who tilted her head.

"Did you hear my mate's message as well?" Ophis asked.

"Yeah. I don't know why he bothered to tell us. This Shalba guy he mentioned doesn't seem like a threat to us at all."

"Do not be reckless, Great Red." Ophis said in warning.

"Relax, Ouroboros. It's not like he can do anything to us."

Before Ophis could say anything, a portal suddenly emerged in the Dimensional Gap, revealing Shalba Beelzebub himself. The Devil narrowed his eyes as he looked around the spaceless area.

'Where is the son of Amaterasu?'

Shalba scoffed as he floated around the Dimensional Gap. The Devil jumped as when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"?!" Shalba gasped.

Beelzebub slowly turned around, only to be punched across the face, causing him to soar throughout the Dimensional Gap. Shalba narrowed his eyes and caught his balance. He widened his eyes in shock when he saw who had punched him.

It was a young woman who appeared to be dressed in biker clothing. Her long flowing crimson-blood hair waved against her back, while her golden eyes glimmered within the dark area of the Dimensional Gap.

"What the hell?!" Shalba exclaimed.

"What's wrong, Devil?" The young woman said in a dark voice, "Hurry up and retaliate. Don't tell you're that injured from just one punch."

"S-shut the hell up!"

"Humph. I've got a few questions for you. And if you don't answer them, I might just kill you. Of course it all depends whether or not you piss me off."

"You think I will just listen to a little brat like you?!"

"Ha! I see you don't recognize me in this form. The look on your face shows me that you're having a hard time believing me."

"Damn it! What the hell are you talking about?! If you think I'm going to-"

"You would be wise to listen," A cold and emotionless voice said, "Both of us have questions for you. If you do not answer them, there will be consequences."

Shalba widened his eyes to see the Infinite Dragon God, also known as the Ouroboros Dragon.

"The Ouroboros Dragon?!"

Narrowing her eyes, Ophis looked at the young woman beside her.

"You wish to interrogate this Devil? I, am a little surprised at you."

The young woman rolled her eyes, but sent a spine-chilling grin towards Shalba.

"We might as well listen to what the idiot has to say, Ophis. Either way, if he manages to piss me off for even a second, I'll just kill him."

Shalba blinked several times in horror and confusion.

'Who is this woman Ophis is speaking to so casually? Wait. The only other being that exists within the Dimensional Gap is...'

Narrowing his eyes, Shalba reached into his armor and pulled out an arrow with a stain of blood. Looking at Shalba with a blank look, 'Girly-Red' rolled her eyes.

'That damn Susanoo had access to Samael's blood as well. So that could only mean that this dumbass is part of that organization he mentioned.'

Narrowing her eyes, the Apocalypse Dragon blew out a puff of air onto the arrow, causing it to disappear.

Shalba widened his eyes in horror as he floated away from the Apocalypse Dragon. Smiling widely with her sharp teeth, Great Red pointed to the Devil menacingly.

"That's strike one, Beelzebub. Now you're going to answer a couple of questions. And for your sake, your answers better be true."


	14. A Shared Prophecy

**Issei's Inner World/Subconscious**

"Red Dragon Emperor. I'm sure you are aware why Amaterasu created Issei in the first place?"

**{Of course I am. I've known the reason since her son was born. Why do you ask?}**

The new manifestation of Issei's powers closed his eyes.

"...You'll know in time."

Ddraig widened his green eyes at the manifestation's cryptic answer.

**{In time?}**

* * *

><p><strong>At the Underworld<strong>

The crowd of Devils and Fallen Angels remained in their spots as they looked at the destruction between the former battle. Some of Devils had attended to the malls, making sure to reanimate them to their normal appearance.

As he watched the Devils, Issei looked around the arena in curiosity. Initially, he was planning on resting after the 20 day regimen of Tannin's training. But the explosion that occurred in the Underworld was what drove him to arrive at the Rating Game.

'I already contacted Ophis and Great Red about Shalba, so they should be busy interrogating. But I'm still wondering what happened here. And why it happened here in the first place.'

He looked over to see Rias and Sona talking with their respective peerages. He cocked his head to the side when he noticed a couple of unfamiliar people in their peerages as well.

'Did they add people to their peerages or something?' Issei wondered.

"It's been a long time, Issei Hyoudou. You even look different."

At the call of his name, Issei turned around to see a familiar Devil.

"Vali."

The host of Albion, the Vanishing Dragon, had his hands in his pockets, looking at Issei with a bored expression. The two rivals hadn't seen each other in a long time. The last time they saw each other was during the three-way battle between Issei, Vali, and Great Red.

"Ooooh, Vali! Who is this cutie?"

Raising an eyebrow, Vali looked behind him to see a young woman with black hair styled with split bangs, and hazel eyes with cat-like pupils. She was dressed in a black kimono and a yellow obi. The girl also seemed to have a perpetual teasing expression on her face.

Vali rolled his eyes, but nonetheless, introduced Issei to the girl.

"Issei Hyoudou. This is Kuroka, a Nekomata."

'A Nekomata? So is she similar to a cat?' Issei thought in curiosity.

"Hey Vali! Aren't you going to introduce the rest of us, too?!" A childish voice asked in eagerness.

Issei looked up to see three more people behind Kuroka. The first person was a bespectacled young man with blonde hair, dressed in a business suit. Next to him was a cute, middle-school age-looking girl, who wore a sorceress-like dress. The last person was a young man with short light-colored hair, and was dressed in ancient Chinese armor.

Sighing, Vali went to introduce his comrades to his rival.

"The man with the glasses is Arthur Pendragon. The girl next to him is his sister, Le Fay Pendragon, and the last one is Bikou."

The girl named Le Fay Pendragon smiled widely, and jumped up into the air.

"And together, we are the VALI TEAM!"

"...What she said." Vali said in an indifferent tone.

"Issei Hyoudou. Vali."

Issei and Vali turned to see Azazel with a calm look on his face. Vali nodded to the Fallen Angel in response. Issei however, noted the serious look on the Fallen Angel's face.

"Issei. It seems that trouble seems to follow you, even when you're not there to see it."

"Ah, perhaps the son of Amaterasu is cursed to carry that effect!"

The cheerful voice of the one who had proclaimed this, was completely unfamiliar to Issei. However, a sudden enraged expression formed on Vali's face, as he turned around to glare the figure who had said that.

It was a middle-aged man in his 40's with silver hair. He held a striking resemblance to Vali, albeit with longer hair and a beard. He wore an attire similar to the one worn by Sirzechs Lucifer, although it was colored in silver.

Azazel narrowed his eyes at the sight of the middle-aged man.

"Rizevim Livan Lucifer."

The elder Lucifer smirked and looked over at Vali, whose expression was bordering on absolute hatred.

"Uncha Uhyohyo~! It's your grandpa Rizevim here you know~? Now then, our fun time will start from here~. So all the good kids listen to this old man here, okay?!"

Issei narrowed his eyes as he looked at the older man. He'd never seen this person before in his life. But apparently, this man had heard of him. What surprised Issei even more, was that the Rizevim looked just like Vali.

"K-k-kuh...!"

Issei looked over to Rizevim's side, and his eyes widened. It was a young man who appeared to be around Issei's age. He had long spiky black hair with short bangs that framed his forehead, and wore white pants with a black sash. His height implied that he was far taller than Issei.

Issei noticed that the young man had a silver crown with a black jewel clasped onto his forehead. The young man in front of him appeared as though he was angry at the sight of Issei.

Rizevim noticed the tension and smirked down at the snarling young man next to him.

"Calm yourself, boy. You will get to fight the son of Amaterasu soon. Very soon. After all..."

Vali's grandfather then set his evil sight over to Issei.

"The primordial Sun and the primordial Moon aren't exactly on friendly terms." He finished with a menacing yet excited tone.

Issei only looked at the elder Devil in silence.

'Is this the guy Shalba was talking about? Did the power Diodora display...belong to this guy?' Issei asked himself in his thoughts.

Moving his attention to his grandson, Rizevim sent Vali a nasty smile.

"Uhyahyahyahya! Your grandpa is about to have an orgasm by having my adorable grandson look at me with such eyes!"

Issei looked over to Vali, a little surprised to see the enraged look on his face.

"Issei Hyoudou," Azazel began, "The man standing in front of you...ordered his son, in other words Vali's father, to "persecute Vali"."

'So he forced Vali's father to bully him? How could he do that?!' Issei thought in confusion.

Rizevim made an unpleasant face as he looked over to Azazel.

"You know I just gave a _precis_e advice to my idiotic son to "bully him if you are scared of him"? Well, if the Vanishing Dragon was born among the kins of a Maou, then my idiotic son who was a wuss and had such a fragile brain like tofu wouldn't be able to endure it mentally~."

Issei noticed Vali's body starting to tense up in hatred.

"At the end, Vali-kyun couldn't endure his dad's treatment towards him so he ran away from home." Rizevim said with a sneer, "I hear that you were raised by Azazel-kun at the Grigori~. I'm so happy for you, since uncle Azazel is good at looking after people~."

"…This is pointless. Anyway, what happened to that man?" Vali asked his grandfather.

"Huh? Oh, do you want to know what happened to your papa after that~? Uhyahyahyahya, I killed him! Because he was such a wuss~. It ticked me off when I saw him acting like that. So I ended up killing him. Oh, are you shocked~? Are you angry because your papa got killed~?"

"Not really." Vali said coldly, "I was planning to kill him as well after all. Except, this makes me happy. I wanted to kill you the most after all. You are not someone who can call himself the Maou Lucifer that was called the "Morning Star"!"

Vali shouted out as the armor of the Vanishing Dragon emerged. The glow of his white armor became even brighter.

Rizevim merely smirked after seeing that.

"That's nice. You have nice eyes. You raised him well, Azazel-chin. I can't believe that my grandson who was crying so much has grown into a youth who can give out such murderous intent when I compare him now to the past~!"

Azazel narrowed his eyes as he stopped Vali from attacking.

"Rizevim, what are you planning to do with that boy next to you? And what does this 'battle' between him and Issei have to do with you?"

Rizevim smirked as he looked into Azazel's eyes.

"Uhyahyahyahya, do you want to know? Sure, I'll tell you as a special gift~. This is something which happened a few months ago. A certain truth was brought to our "world". –The "other world" that "we" didn't know about. This is something that was speculated since long ago, but that existence was finally proved~."

Azazel remained silent as he listened to Rizevim's words.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Azazel-kun~? Yes, it happened when the God of the storms, Susanoo came to attack the son of Amaterasu and that's when that possibility came into reality."

Rizevim adopted a menacing smile as he pointed directly to Issei.

"And you were the one who made it happen, son of Amaterasu. During your battle against your own uncle."

Issei widened his eyes at the memory.

'Susanoo?! Was he aligned with this guy or something?'

Rizevim continued his explanation as he crossed his arms.

"Did you know that it's an unknown God that has nothing to do with all the mythologies of this "world"? It's not from the Bible, it's not from the Norse mythology, it's not from Hindu mythology, and it's not from Japanese mythology. So a God who we don't even know about and that comes from a world we don't even have a clue about came in contact with this world. Among the researchers that researched about another world, this was basically an incident that brought revolution." Rizevim said it as he nodded his head before continung.

"So, this is what I thought. Then how about I attack them? Like that!"

Azazel and Vali narrowed their eyes at the latter's grandfather, trying to understand what he was saying.

"But the thing is, that's not possible. The reason is due to the existence of an outrageous Dragon that is guarding the dimension of this "world" which makes it hard to go to their world. Yes, I'm talking about Great Red-san."

Issei widened his eyes in shock. His eyes then narrowed into slits.

'Great Red?! What does this guy want with him?!'

"I see, you are after Great Red!" Azazel said as he figured out Rizevim's plan.

"Correct! You sure are clever, Azazel-kun! I would like to reward you with a perfect mark! So I want to defeat Great Red-kun and break into their world." Rizevim said with an air of pride before he continued once more.

"But Great Red is a great existence. He's insanely strong. He's seriously strong. He's ridiculously strong. Even if I try to pit Ophis against him to defeat him, it wouldn't have any effect."

Issei narrowed his eyes further at the mention of his wife.

'Is Ophis involved in this guy's plan too? Why is he so obsessed with Great Red and Ophis?'

Rizevim looked at Issei with a curious air about him.

"Then, who will be the one that can defeat Great Red? Me? No way. I'll get killed. Then should I steal Samael? If I do that, then Great Red will just blow him away from existence. Then there's only one option left. How about I make the verse of the Apocalypse into reality?"

"…666(Trihexa)…!" Azazel exclaimed.

"That's correct, Azazel-kun. Do you want a cushion? Or a trip to America? It sure is good to have someone who can answer my question. It's worth the effort to talk. Yup, that's it, Sekiryuushintei Great Red isn't the only legendary creature recorded in the Apocalypse. Apocalyptic Beast 666, don't you reckon it will be a good match if I can pit that child whose existence was hinted by the God from the Bible against Great Red?"

Issei, interested in Rizevim's words, looked over to Azazel.

"What is this thing called Trihexa, Azazel?"

"Issei Hyoudou," He replied as he turned to give him a serious look, "The number 666 is a bad omen. The number of the beast. It's about the monster that became the source for it. In the Apocalypse, it is spoken together with the Great Red."

'The opposite of Great Red?!' Issei thought in shock. 'So there's another primordial being besides Ophis, Death, and Great Red?!'

"The existence of it was merely a possibility and all of the forces are still discussing where it may be at!" Azazel said in shock.

"Nfufufu, guess what? It does exist. As a result of looking deep into the principle of life, we finally found it at the end of the world which was forgotten by everyone. But the thing is, it seems like there was someone else who found 666 before us and put a strong seal on the creature. Who do you think it was? Hey, who do you think it was?"

Vali's team, Vali, and Azazel kept quiet as they listened to Rizevim's inevitable answer. Issei just stared at Vali's grandfather in curiosity.

"It was the God from the Bible. That God sure was amazing. He found 666 even before any of us and put thousands of seals on it. Maybe, that may have been the cause of death of the God from the Bible. After all, there were so many powerful seals that would be regarded as forbidden level that it wouldn't be weird for a God to die after using those kinds of seals. So it's a plausible story for the God from the Bible to vanish if he took part in the war between the Three Great Powers due to fatigue."

Rivezim turned his attention to Azazel and smirked.

"We are currently trying to unseal each of the seals desperately! That's why~, we are going to revive 666, and after we crush, destroy, and defeat Great Red, we will use the army of Evil Dragons and 666 to invade the other world! So I'm going trample down and eliminate every single God, monster, and the creatures of their world in order to make my own Utopia! Uhyahyahyahyahya~!"

Azazel rose an eyebrow as he glared at the elder Devil.

"And just how do you plan to unseal 666?"

"Well, isn't it obvious, Azazel-kun? I stated earlier that the young man next to me will eventually battle with the son of Amaterasu. Think about it. The primordial Sun and Moon have been separate for many years."

Azazel widened his eyes in shock.

"Are you saying that Issei and this kid are the..._key_ to unlocking 666?!"

"HAHAHAHAHA! That's exactly what I'm saying! It gives me an orgasm simply by imagining it. So maybe something like this will be recorded in their mythology? Something that goes "The evil being that arrived from the other world brought an enormous beast and herds of Evil Dragons and brought disaster to this world. Maybe? After all, I'm merely someone who carries the blood of the previous Maou Lucifer in this world. Except! Maybe I can become the one and only Great Maou-sama of the other world?!"

Issei clicked his teeth in distaste, prompting Rizevim to look over to him. The grandfather of Vali smiled and pointed to him.

"Listen up, son of Amaterasu. Devils are beings that have to be evil, wicked, brutal, bad, scum, wrong, brute, and vicious. Copying what's done by a hero? Hero? That is something that a "justice" would do. You know, beings like humans and Angels? And what are we? You do know we are "evil" and "bad" existences? Then isn't it obvious to what we have to do?"

"..."

"No matter where we are, we have to kill every single person that we don't like! That's how it is. Aren't Devils and Dragons supposed to be entities that take the bad role? So I'm going to cause havoc to this world and the other world using the Evil Dragons. I will break anything I don't like and kill every single person I find as a nuisance!"

"..."

"Hahaha! What's with you refusing to answer me?! And what the hell's with your eyes?! Those sure aren't the eyes of a God. Those are eyes of "justice". Your eyes represent that of heroes. You're hopeless. Do you even know what you are? You are the son of the Shinto Goddess of the Sun. The Goddess of the Sun and the Universe!"

"K-k-k-kuh...!" The young man next to Rizevim stuttered in rage.

Rizevim smiled as he looked at the young man next to him.

"Hmm. I see that the son of the God of the Moon is eager to fight you, son of Amaterasu! Or perhaps, my adorable grandson would like to fight him."

Narrowing his eyes, Vali went to take the initiative, until Issei grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Vali, don't!"

"What?! What are you saying?"

Issei gave his rival a serious look.

"I sense a lot of power in this guy. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Humph. It seems the son of Amaterasu has inherited his mother's compassion. However, I believe It's about time we retreat. Uhyahyahya, this tension is pretty scary." Rizevim said in a mocking tone.

Vali narrowed his eyes and ejected his bright wings, causing the light shine to shine throughout the Divide Dividing wings.

"Rizevim! I'm not done with you yet!"

"The thing is, my grandson is really persistent. So let's head back. Yoru-kun over here is getting irritated by just the sight of the _Sun_ of Amaterasu. It's too bad. Since the powers of the Sun and the Moon are involved in the resurrection of 666, I'm so deliciously eager to see its unseal. However, now is not the time. See-ya. So please support us from now on as we are going to cause a huge terror! And I will be sure to watch the fight between the Sun and the Moon!"

After his declaration, Rizevim snapped his fingers, causing a large magical circle to appear from under him.

"Oh, by the way. Our name. "Qlippoth", nice name right? It's the exact meaning of being the force of evil. Ciao!"

Rizevim and Yoru disappeared as they melded to the magic circle.

Vali's eyes twitched as he glared at his grandfather's former spot.

"My dream is to defeat Great Red. Dammit. Is my dream the same as his then?! No, I...I am different to him!"

Issei gave Vali a look of sympathy, and lowered his head as he held the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

"Issei Hyoudou."

The young man looked up at Azazel, who gave him a serious look.

"I'm going to gather a few allies. When you have time, meet us in the information room at the Phenex Mansion. It's extremely important."

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"You all right, Ophis?"

Great Red rose his head as he looked worriedly at his 'sister'. After interrogating Shalba Beelzebub about his involvement with the so-called _Khaos __Brigade, _Great Red took it upon himself to obliterate the Devil into nothingness. The Apocalypse Dragon was satisfied in the end, in great contrast to Ophis' mood.

"I, am troubled." Ophis stated bluntly.

"About?"

Ophis looked up at her 'brother', and her eyes narrowed.

"What Shalba Beelzebub stated to us. Do you recall what he said? The Apocalyptic Beast? The Destruction of Infinity?"

At the mention of the feared being, Great Red narrowed his eyes and nodded.

"Yes, I remember." The Apocalypse Dragon stated seriously.

Due to the Great Red himself being the most dominant being in existence, other beings in the world wanted to challenge him. Usually, the True Red Dragon Emperor God would just ignore them and keep to himself.

But there was only one being that honestly bothered the hell out of Great Red. The Apocalypse Dragon was by no means frightened by this being, however, that didn't mean he was any less cautious about it.

"The Trihexa." Ophis said.

The beast was a legendary being that was rumored to be on par with the Great Red himself. The Biblical God was strong enough to place thousands of seals on the beast, due to the beast's colossal power. The chance of a clash between the Trihexa and Great Red…

Not even the sanest of beings would want to think about this clash, as the potential damage inflicted upon the world would be catastrophic.

Narrowing his eyes further, Great Red sent his attention back to Ophis.

"Why are you so worried about this, Ophis? The bastard Trixeha's been sealed by the God of the Bible for so long, I doubt there's a chance it'll be reawakened."

"That, does not reassure me." Ophis stated in a flat voice.

"I still believe you're over worrying things. It'll be a cold day in Hell before Trihexa is unsealed."

Sending her dark-gray eyes to her 'brother', Ophis tilted her head.

"I, hope you are right."

"…I hope so too." Great Red said.

* * *

><p><strong>The Information Room of the Phenex Mansion<strong>

Issei looked on as he spotted the Occult Research Club, the Student Council, Azazel, Sairaorg Bael, Seegvaira, Vali and his team, and a crowd of unfamiliar people.

Narrowing her eyes, Rias looked to Azazel to speak to him.

"…How are the higher-ups responding to this?"

"Since this incident isn't something we can't take lightly or ignore, even those who weren't cooperating with us until now are agreeing to have a discussion over this. That bastard Rizevim is trying to cause chaos to both this world and the other world with his dangerous ideals."

Azazel then looked over to Issei in concern.

"Issei. If the 666 gets revived and starts a fight with Sekiryuushintei Great Red, the world may collapse due to their aftermath."

"..."

"Don't make such faces, everyone. It's not like we are going to get attacked by the other forces. Except, the problem we have is that we ended up having an enemy we all have in common." A woman in a nun outfit said in a polite tone.

She continued her sentence as she smiled.

"Michael-sama is also negotiating with the other forces as a representative of our God. There are many mythologies that are craving for our help. To add, there are forces whom have calmed themselves down due to Michael-sama's instruction."

Issei looked at the woman in surprise.

'So Michael is involved as well, huh?'

"That's right Griselda", Azazel said to the woman, "And one more thing, there is a suggestion coming from the executives of each faction."

"Each of the mythologies will have at least one insanely strong God in their forces, but they have to worry about how people will view them, so they are not able to go out and take down the terrorists so easily. That's why we are in need of a counter-terrorist team that consists of strong fighters that can fight Rizevim and his group head on while being able to move to such places right away."

"A counter terrorist team?" Issei asked in confusion.

"That's right, Issei." Azazel said.

"I agree with the joint. Since we are in this situation, we must cooperate with each other." Rias said as she and her peerage nodded in agreement.

"It won't be a problem. I will allow myself to fight alongside Rias." Sairaorg said in resolution.

"I have no objection." Sona agreed in her stern tone.

"Me too. Though it seems like my role is to support everyone from the rear." Seegvaira said as she narrowed her cold eyes.

"...DxD."

The groups in the information room widened their eyes as they looked at Koneko, who looked a bit shy at the attention.

"DxD?" Rias asked in confusion.

"...I thought we should have a name, Buchou. Is it bad?"

"Well, we can also forcefully add any names starting with the letter "D". Though it's certain that we need a name. I see, [D×D] huh…" Azazel began as he put his hand under his chin, "It may also be easy to remember it while having the meaning of protecting Great Red that is the [D×D]."

Azazel then looked over to Vali.

"Hey Vali. I will nominate you guys, the Vali team, to join this mixed-team in order to become the man-power against the plan Rizevim is trying to carry out. By doing that, I will try to get rid of even the tiniest distrust you guys have."

Looking at Azazel for a moment, Vali closed his eyes.

'He must be contacting Albion.' Issei guessed.

"…Albion. That's what Azazel is saying, but are you dissatisfied with teaming up with your nemesis?"

**(I don't mind. I have known Ddraig for a long time. It's strange that I do not even know what our fight was about all those years ago. Are you dissatisfied with teaming up with the host of Ddraig?)**

Vali opened his eyes and looked directly into Issei's own.

'...Not even a little.'

**(That's good to hear. Ddraig, do you agree?)**

**{Yeah, I don't mind, Albion.}**

"But isn't it quite a serious matter that Vali Lucifer and his comrades were part of Khaos Brigade?" Sona asked Azazel.

"About that, that geezer Odin stood up to take Vali as his adopted son while knowing all about what he did. That geezer is one of the old Gods. If Odin says he wants to take him in as his adopted son, then the Gods of Asgard and the Gods from the other forces aren't able to complain against him that easily. Though it will come with a requirement and restriction, you will be able to move more freely. Vali, are you dissatisfied to become Odin's son?"

"I will cooperate when both sides will benefit from it. So I will act on my own other than that."

"So I can take that as a "yes" then?"

"...Yeah."

Smiling, Azazel turned his sights to Issei, who appeared to have something on his mind.

"Issei Hyoudou. What do you think about this counter terrorist team? Are you interested in joining?"

Issei gave Azazel a calm stare, and then his eyes softened.

"If it involves Great Red and Ophis, then you already know my answer, Azazel."

The Fallen Angel smiled as he crossed his arms.

"So that's another "Yes" I assume. All right then. I hereby declare that the first DxD meeting is adjourned."

**Takamagahara**

Amaterasu remained quiet as she felt the breeze of the winds that blew onto her grass fields. Her brown-black eyes showed an unreadable expression on her face. Her black hair blew along in alignment with the wind.

_WHOOSH_

At the sound of the wind pausing, Amaterasu turned around to see her own son standing far away from her. She widened her eyes slightly at Issei's new appearance. His expression didn't show any anger or fury at all. He appeared to be calm.

"...My little Issei."

Issei remained silent as he looked at his mother. He was completely relaxed, showing no tension at all. Looking at his mother with his soft brown eyes, Issei still didn't say anything.

Amaterasu didn't know what to say. She didn't expect her son to return to her. Blinking several times in confusion, the Goddess of the Sun and the Universe walked over to her son, looking down at him curiously.

"My little Sun. What are you doing here?"

**Location: Near Some Malls**

Leiko walked with her arms crossed as she looked around her surroundings. The desire to see how her cousin was doing caused her to have strange feelings, so she decided to take a walk to clear her thoughts.

As she walked further, Leiko noticed that a lot of people were outside.

'Hmm. When Ise-itoko and I went to the mall, there was barely anyone around. It really has been a long time, hasn't it?'

"Hawaau!"

Widening her eyes in reaction to the voice, Leiko turned around to see a frail nun on the ground.

The girl had her arms spread wide open and her face was planted onto the ground.

'What a clumsy way of falling down.' Leiko noted in her thoughts.

"Hey, are you all right?" Leiko asked as she went to help the girl.

"Auu. Why do I keep on tripping over… Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you very much."

The wind blew around them, causing the nun's veil to fly off, revealing blonde hair and innocent green eyes.

'Hmm. Her eyes remind of Ise-itoko's when we were children.'

"So what are you doing around here? Are you lost or something?"

"Well," The girl began as she twiddled her fingers, "not exactly."

"...Are you traveling?"

"No, that's not it. I was appointed to the Church in this town… You must be a resident of this town. It's so nice to meet you." The girl said as she bowed her head in respect.

"I have been in trouble since I got here. Ummm…it was really hard to find the church…I was lost and other people didn't really give me any help…"

Leiko rose an eyebrow in curiosity.

'Hmm. The church isn't that far. I guess I could help her.'

"I know where the Church is." Leiko offered.

"Y-You do! T-Thank you~! This is all thanks to God!" The girl exclaimed as tears flowed from her eyes.

"Uwaaaaaah!"

At the sound of the cry, Leiko and the girl turned to see a boy whimpering on the ground. His mother attempted to comfort him, holding him gently.

"Are you alright Yosh-kun?" The mother asked in worry.

The girl who had just spoken with Leiko, walked over to the mother and son. Interested in what the girl was planning, Leiko followed her.

"Hey. Are you okay? Boys shouldn't cry with a minor injury like this." The girl cooed as she patted the boy's head gently.

The boy looked at the girl in surprise when she put her palm on the his injury. The girl had a kind expression on her face.

Leiko widened her eyes when a green light orb suddenly appeared from the nun's palm. The green light then flashed onto the boy's injury.

Issei's cousin widened her eyes further when the boy's injury began to disappear entirely.

'Is she...healing him? Does the light from her hand have regenerative properties or something?'

As Leiko looks up, she notices that she is not the only shocked one. The boy's mother is in shock as well.

"Here, your wounds are healed. The pain should be gone now." The nun said as she patted the boy's head softly.

The boy's mother, who was shocked before, shook her head in disbelief. Shooting the girl a strange look, the mother grabbed her son's hand.

"Thank you, Onee-chan!" The boy said, his words filled with gratitude.

As she watched the boy and his mother walk away, the girl smiled gently. As she turned around, she giggled at the surprised look on Leiko's face.

"Hmm. It's the power to heal. It's a wonderful power that God gave me." The girl said with a smile, even though her eyes appeared sad.

Not wanting to probe into the girl's past, Leiko offered to bring her to the church.

"Yes, this is the place! I'm so glad." The girl said in a sigh of relief.

Leiko rose an eyebrow, but she shrugged. It appeared that the girl was extremely happy to go the church. Leiko was never a person who obsessed in religion, but that didn't mean she felt she had a right to judge anyone else.

Feeling that her job was done, Leiko nodded to the girl.

"Well, I'll be on my way. I'll catch you later."

"Please wait!"

Leiko widened her eyes when the girl stopped her with her words.

"I would like to make you some tea as a gratitude for taking me here."

"Oh. Really?"

The girl smiled gently.

"Yes, I would like to very much. Do you have time?"

Leiko crossed her arms as she thought about it. While she was grateful that the girl wanted to thank her, she really didn't want to impose. But as she looked at the girl's face, she felt her resolve slip away.

Sighing in defeat, Leiko nodded to the girl and smiled.

"Thanks for the offer. I would love to have tea with you."

The girl smiled in excitement.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Leiko's smile widened at the girl's cheerfulness.

"My name is Leiko Hyoudou. What's your name?"

"My name is Asia Argento! Please call me Asia!"

"Then, Sister Asia, let's have that tea."

"Yes! Definitely!" Asia exclaimed as she bowed her head.

**Heaven (Akihabara)**

"A counter terrorist group? DxD?"

"That's right Michael. A group created for the sole purpose of protecting the Great Red."

"Oh, dear. This sounds like a risky tactic."

"On the contrary, Gabriel. I think it sounds like a good idea. Besides, not only do we have a large number of members, but we also have the hosts of the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon, respectively."

At this revelation, Gabriel widened her eyes. When Azazel first told her about the counter terrorist group, she had to admit that she was a bit worried. After all, the resurrection of the Trihexa, also known as 666, and the plot to pit it against the Great Red, was perhaps the Three Faction's greatest fear.

"So you have the descendant of Lucifer," Michael began, "And the son of Amaterasu in the group as well?"

"That's right," Azazel said as he nodded, "Although I'm not saying this as favoritism, I believe that Issei Hyoudou and Vali will no doubt give the DxD group an advantage."

"Hmm," Gabriel hummed, "Then DxD will have to be extremely cautious. It's bad enough that a relative of Lucifer himself created this plan of his. But what's even strange to me, is that Rizevim has a weapon of sorts."

"Yeah, it surprised me too," Azazel agreed as he picked at his ear," Apparently, this Yoru kid is the opposite of Issei Hyoudou. Issei's physiology is that of the Sun, while Yoru has the physiology of the Moon."

"Hmm. So Issei Hyoudou has yet another rival." Michael remarked.

"It would appear so. But there's something that Rizevim said that still puzzles me."

"And what is that, Azazel?" Gabriel asked.

"He compared Issei Hyoudou and Yoru's differences to the allusion of the separation between the Sun and the Moon. From what he revealed to us, Issei and Yoru are to engage in a climatic battle of some sorts."

"What does that have to do with our current situation?" Michael asked as he rose an eyebrow.

"...He implied that the battle between Issei Hyoudou and Yoru...is the absolute key to unsealing 666."

Gabriel and Michael widened their eyes in shock and disbelief.

"What?!"

"I don't understand. What on earth does the Sun and the Moon have to do with the resurrection of 666?"

"That I don't know of," Azazel admitted to Michael, "And that's a problem too. That Yoru kid expressed so much animosity towards Issei Hyoudou, only proving that he wants to fight him."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Gabriel said in worry, "The son of Amaterasu-omikami against the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. Is it possible that the large difference in their primordial powers...causes the seal placed on 666 by God himself, to break?"

"It's all a mystery to me." Azazel said with a shrug.

**Takamagahara**

The Goddess of the Sun stared curiously at the manifestation of the Sun. She honestly didn't know why her son was here in the first place. What did he want to say? Was he here for a specific reason? Why was he here?

Amaterasu widened her eyes slightly as she gazed upon her son.

'His eyes. They're different. So soft, yet...so peaceful.'

"...You created me for a purpose."

The Goddess of the Sun inwardly gasped as she heard her son's voice. Closing his eyes, Issei held the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in his hand tightly.

"There's a lot of people I've come to care about on Earth. And Shinigami-san said...I had a task to complete. If something were to happen to you, then it was my job to protect the Earth and the Universe."

"..." Amaterasu blinked several times.

Issei opened his eyes and looked up at his mother.

"In spite of what I said when we met for the first time...I don't want anything to happen to you. The Sun should stay with its creator. It should stay just as it is. So that's why I'm going to complete the task you gave me."

"Issei..." Amaterasu said as her brown-black eyes widened.

His eyes softening, Issei looked his mother in the eyes.

"It's like I said. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. And I don't want anything to happen to my other family and...friends on Earth. Especially to the ones I've met in the Underworld and Heaven."

Placing his index and middle fingers on his forehead, Issei looked back at his mother.

"There's a counter terrorist group that I'm involved in. It's called DxD. As it stands now, most of the Gods are talking about the group. Since you're a Goddess, the talk about DxD will most likely pass over to this place."

"What is the purpose of this group?"

"...To prevent the unsealing of the Trihexa."

Amaterasu widened her eyes in shock.

'666?! The Emperor Beast of Apocalypse?!'

"I think it's time I go now. I'm supposed to meet one of the members in a group meeting." Issei said as he closed his eyes.

"W-wait, Issei!" Amaterasu said before Issei could transmit away.

Issei opened his eyes as he waited for his mother to finish.

"Please. Please be careful, my precious little Sun."

**With Leiko and Asia**

"Hmm," Leiko hummed as she sipped some tea, "This is really good tea, Asia-chan."

"Haha. Thank you so much, Lei-san."

Leiko had to admit that she was actually comfortable around the young nun. She sipped another sup of tea, and looked around the church.

"It sure is a big church. I've never been inside it before."

"Now that you mention it," Asia said as she tapped her finger on her chin, "It is kind of big. Though this is the first time I've been here."

"It is?" Leiko asked in curiosity.

"Yes. I was supposed to meet someone here. I wanted to find the church at an early time so I wouldn't be late."

"Oh. If you don't mind me asking...who was supposed to meet you?"

"Raynare-san." Asia said with a smile.

"...Raynare?" Leiko said as she rose an eyebrow,

'That's a strange name.'

"Yeah. She's looked after me since I was little."

"Asia-chan! There you are!"

Asia and Leiko looked up to see Raynare herself, clad in her Fallen Angel clothing. Leiko rose another eyebrow in awe at the Fallen Angel's outfit. Raynare genuinely smiled as she walked over to Asia. Her violet eyes widened when she spotted Leiko.

"Raynare-san," Asia smiled as she pointed to Leiko, "This is Leiko Hyoudou. She's the one who showed to me to the church."

"You're Issei-kun's cousin!" Raynare said in a bit of surprise.

Leiko widened her eyes in curiosity at the mention of her beloved cousin.

"You know my Ise-itoko?"

**The Student Council Room**

Issei opened the door to the Student Council room, his first sight being Rias, Akeno, Sona, Tsubaki, and Saji.

"Issei. You made it." Rias said with a smile.

"Yeah," Issei said as he closed the door. "So what's this meeting about?"

"Why it's quite simple." Sona began as she fixed her glasses, "We clearly cannot allow Rizevim Lucifer's plan to continue."

"That's why the DxD team was formed, and since we have joined them, we can't allow his terrorist acts to commence." Tsubaki said after her master.

Narrowing her eyes in determination, Rias smiled and looked at Issei.

"Not taking action after being treated threatened is unlike us, so we'll get stronger together with all of us!" The crimson-haired Devil declared.

"Uffuffu. Ara, ara." Akeno said as she laughed, "It seems that the tension is motivating all of us."

"So what are we going to do first?" Issei asked as he put his hands in his pockets.

"It's going to be awesome, Newby," Saji said with a smile, "We're going to train with the First Generation Sun Wukong himself."

"Sun Wukong?" Issei repeated in confusion.

"Humph. So that bastard Wukong is going be training you guys. Can't wait to see how that goes."

The members of the Occult Research Club and the Student Council widened their eyes at the familiar gruff voice. Behind Issei, were none other than the Apocalypse Dragon (in his 'Girly-Red' form), and the Ouroboros Dragon.

Looking behind him, Issei smiled at the Dragons, who smiled back in return.

"So I take it you guys know about the plan?" Issei asked.

"Yes," Ophis answered as she walked over to Issei, "And I will repeat what I stated to you, my darling mate. Your desire to protect Baka-Red and I, is foolish."

"Well then I guess I'm a really foolish guy."

"That is true," Ophis said as she smiled, "But you are my foolish mate."

The Ouroboros Dragon made her claim on Issei by capturing his lips in a blissful kiss. Rias, Sona, Tsubaki, and Akeno widened their eyes at the Infinite Dragon God's display of affection.

Smiling in amusement, Great Red moved 'her' attention to the Devils, and chuckled.

"Keh keh keh. I bet you didn't see that coming, did you?" The Apocalypse Dragon said.

**At the Church**

"My Ise-itoko really knows a lot of people."

"It's ironic, seeing as he's not that sociable."

"But he's learning though. He's getting better."

Having tea with a Fallen Angel and a nun was probably something Leiko would never even think about doing. In spite of that, for a Fallen Angel, Raynare seemed to be a kind person. Especially since Asia mentioned that Raynare had taken care of her since she was younger.

Sipping her cup of tea, Leiko sent her attention to Raynare.

"So you go to Issei's school? I didn't know that."

"I'm surprised you don't remember me. Then again, I was in my human disguise at the time, so it's understandable."

Leiko rose an eyebrow in response.

"Disguise?"

Raynare nodded, and her body glowed with a bright light. The light faded, revealing Raynare in the form of Yuuma Amano, causing Leiko to widen her eyes in surprise.

"Do you recognize me now?"

"...Yeah, I do now. You were standing next to Ise-itoko when I came to his school that one day."

"Ah, yes I remember. You taught those two perverts Matsuda and Motohama a lesson."

Leiko smiled at the memory, and sipped her tea for good measure. Looking back at a smiling Asia, Leiko put her cup down.

"Hey, Lei-san. This Issei person sounds like a nice person."

Leiko smiled warmly at Asia's compliment and clasped her hands together.

"Yeah. He sure is."

Remembering something, Leiko felt like she had to ask the nun something.

"Asia-chan. If you don't mind me asking, how exactly did you heal that boy near the mall?"

As she heard Leiko's question, Asia noticeably became downcast. Leiko noticed this and offered the nun a sympathetic look.

"Did I say something bad?"

"No, you didn't. I'm just...reminiscing." Asia said in a sad tone.

Sighing, Asia sent Leiko a small smile, and sat comfortably in her seat.

"When I was younger, people called me the "Holy Maiden". I, um...my parents left me."

Leiko widened her eyes at the news, and she had the feeling that Asia's story was going to a turning point.

"So...I was raised in a Church along with the other orphans. And when I was eight years old, I received a special power."

Leiko nodded as she remembered the girl's power.

"I was so happy when I received that power. I was able to heal a puppy, and a person from the Catholic Church saw me do it. So I was taken to the Catholic Church because of my healing powers. The people were so kind to me, and I liked helping people."

Leiko felt herself being entranced by Asia's story. However, she listened further without any interruption.

"I was thankful for my power because it was bestowed by God. But...I felt a bit...lonely. Even though the people were nice to me, they didn't treat me as a human."

"They treated her like a creature that could only heal humans." Raynare said, giving Asia a saddened look.

"But one day...there was a Devil nearby the church. And he looked like he was so much in pain, so...I healed him."

"It was Asia-chan's kindness that caused the change to happen." Raynare added.

"The ministers of the Church were shocked about what I did. They were shocked that my power could heal Devils. And because of that...they thought I was a witch. So...they kicked me out of the church."

Leiko felt her heart pour out to the nun.

'The Church abandoned her?! How could they do that to her?'

Asia's sad smile seemed to widen as she looked at Raynare.

"I didn't have anywhere to go and along the way, I found Raynare-san. She said she would look after me. But...I never stopped to pray for God. Even though...he didn't save me."

The nun's eyes wettened with flowing tears as she went to rub them. Asia's eyes widened when she felt a warm hand on top of her own. She looked up to see Leiko giving her a warm smile.

"You didn't deserve to go through that, Asia-chan. Saying that...I'll be your friend. Is that all right with you?"

Asia's eyes widened further in shock. This girl wanted to be her friend? She couldn't believe it!

Seconds later, the nun smiled and reached over to hug Issei's cousin tightly. Raynare smiled warmly at the sight and crossed her arms.

"Raynare."

At the call of her name, Raynare turned around to see her comrade Kalawarner. The tall Fallen Angel walked over quietly to the trio. Her cool brown eyes widened in curiosity when she spotted a human girl conversing with Raynare and Asia.

"Who's this human?" Kalawarner asked Raynare.

Aware that Kalawarner was talking about her, Leiko looked up. Before she could speak however, Raynare beat her to it.

"This is Issei-kun's cousin. Leiko."

"...Huh. I didn't know the kid had a cousin."

"And I didn't know Ise-itoko knew so many people." Leiko said dryly.

**Death's Domain**

The manifestation of despair and destruction stood with her eyes closed. The talk with the Biblical God interested her greatly. However, the God from the Bible had departed to another section of her Domain, with reasons unknown to Death herself. What also intrigued her was that the Biblical God wanted to speak with Riser.

"Hmm. Very interesting." Death remarked.

A pool of dark energy suddenly formed in front of Death, prompting her to rise a thin eyebrow in curiosity. The energy suddenly dissipated, revealing an adult woman with a voluptuous body. Her free-flowing long hair and skin possessed the vibrant color of bright silver-white. Her eyes were also an eerie white color, seemingly glowing with impatient anger.

Death smiled wryly at the entity in front of her, while the woman in front of her glowered harshly.

"My dear sister," Death cooed, "It's been a long time."

The woman's glare darkened in response.

"Do not grant me such foolishness, sister."

"My, my. Someone's in a bad mood."

"And you know exactly why I am in such a bad mood. After all, it was your doing that prevented that boy from descending into my realm."

Death continued to smile at her sister.

"Oh, goodness. Would you happen to be talking about my Darling?"

"Your Darling?!", The woman repeated in impatience, "Who gave you the right to claim him?"

"On the contrary," Death said as she lifted a finger, "I never said I claimed him. That claim was assumed by the Ouroboros Dragon."

"..."

"I do not understand why you are so upset about this, Oblivion."

Oblivion, the manifestation and personification of Non-Existence, glowered harshly at its sibling. Indeed, Death was not the only primordial entity that existed in the Universe. There were many others.

"The reason I am upset, is because I was so close to collecting that delicious energy of the boy. You, my annoying sister, prevented the son of Amaterasu from descending into my realm."

"Oh, do not be mistaken, Oblivion. It was not I who prevented Darling from passing into your Realm. It was the God from the Bible himself. Come now, sister. Must you blame me for something I didn't do?"

Oblivion only narrowed her eyes in irritation, embarrassed that her claim had been proven wrong. Death rose an eyebrow in realization, and she gave her sister a chilling smile.

"Oblivion. Do you have a crush on Darling?"

The manifestation of Non-Existence widened her eyes, and grunted as a luminescent blush reddened on her face.

"D-don't be ridiculous, you fool! He may be a spawn of the Sun, but that means nothing. I'm only interested in his energy, that is all!"

Death chuckled in amusement at her sister's stuttering. Even though they appeared to have different personalities, she and Oblivion both represented the aspect of Death. Death had to admit, it didn't expect its sibling to take an interest in Issei Hyoudou.

"When that boy's anger manifested into that...beserker-like transformation," Oblivion began as her blush remained, "I could feel that...delicious energy clouding through my own realm. It...distracted me."

"Oh?" Death said in amusement, "So are you saying that my darling Issei's monstrous transformation made you all hot and bothered?"

Oblivion widened her eyes as her blush intensified. She glowered harshly at her sibling once again, but that only caused Death's smile to widen.

"I must admit, I never expected you to take an interest in the son of Amaterasu. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous."

"Jealous of what?" Oblivion challenged in a menacing tone.

"You're jealous because Darling was unable to pass to your realm, while he passed into mine. Also, due to the fact that he is now a manifestation of Life and Death, he cannot descend into your realm. Without my consent, that is."

"Why you-!"

"Don't be so angry, Oblivion. If you ask nicely, I might_ allow_ Issei to pass to your realm. For a visit."

"Huh?!" Oblivion gasped as her blush intensified, before looking away, "Don't be ridiculous! I don't need your permission to do anything, sister!"

"Hmm. Suit yourself. Although I must say, it's strange that you have an attachment for a lower being."

Oblivion twitched and turned to glare at her sibling.

"Sister. Listen, and listen good. I do not love. I cannot love. All I wish for, is the end of all things. It's in my nature, for my name is, and only, Oblivion. I existed before creation. Where and when creation ends... I remain. I am the void that exists between life and death. The void that exists between death and rebirth. I am Non-Existence!"

"...Hahahahahaha!" Death giggled menacingly as she put her hand on her mouth, causing Oblivion to widen her eyes in confusion.

"What is so amusing to you?" The personification of Non-Existence asked in genuine curiosity.

"Oh, nothing," Death said as she waved her hand off, "It's just that you aren't fooling anyone, my dear sister. I know how you think. After all, we both represent the End. It seems that the reason you find Darling so interesting, is because he was able to avoid passing through the realm of absolute nonexistence."

Oblivion's eyes twitched as she clenched her fists. Death only smiled and gave off a dreamy sigh.

"Hmm. It's a wonder. First the Ouroboros Dragon claims Darling as her one and true mate. Then it's the Yamata-no-Orochi, who has surprisingly taken a liking to Issei as well. Then there is myself, and now...you. Darling seems to attract a whole surplus of powerful entities."

"...Yes, it would seem so." Oblivion admitted grudgingly.

Death then sent her sister a teasing but malicious smile.

"I wonder if our sibling Eternity has heard about Issei." She teased.

At the mention of their sibling, Oblivion glared at Death.

"No! Don't you dare even joke about that! You know how I feel about our other sibling. It's bad enough that you have taken an interest in the son of Amaterasu. If Eternity were to take an interest..."

Death only chuckled and shook her head.

"It seems that Darling is unintentionally attracting a large number of beings. If Eternity were to become attracted to Issei, then it would be exceptionally interesting."

Oblivion looked away from her sister. She and Death held some interest in Issei already. So if the embodiment of time and reality were to hear about Issei, it would be disastrous. There would no doubt be a quarrel between the two aspects of Death, and the aspect of something that had no beginning and neither an end.

"Haha," Death laughed as she crossed her arms, "Are you sure you don't want to just...share Issei? I don't mind sharing Darling with you. And I'm sure Eternity won't mind sharing either."

"I would appreciate it if you would stop talking about our other 'sibling'." Oblivion said with a scowl.

"My, my. So jealous."

"I am not jealous!" The void of Non-Existence shouted out with a blush on her face.

**Issei's Inner World/Subconscious**

Issei opened his eyes and looked around his Inner World. He rose an eyebrow in confusion as he looked around his surroundings.

'Hmm. It's quiet.' Issei noted.

"Yo. Issei."

At the call of his name, Issei turned around to see who it was. His brown eyes widened at the first sight.

In front of him was a pale-white figure. He wore an outfit similar to the black coat Issei was wearing, except it was white. He had silver-hair with white devil-like horns, and glowing eyes that were covered by a mask. He also carried an exact replica of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Issei stared at the figure in shock. He had no idea who this was, and yet, he could almost sense a part of him, and another soul within the being.

The figure lifted his head up, and nodded to Issei.

"It's not surprising that you don't know me. But I know you."

Issei continued to stare, unsure of what to say in his situation. The figure lowered his head, and nodded to Issei once more.

"It's been a long time, Issei." The mysterious being said as he removed his mask.


	15. The Sun vs The Moon

"?!"

The Occult Research Club, the Student Council, Great Red, and Ophis quickly looked over to see Issei with his eyes wide-open. He appeared to be in a state of shock, and he started to breathe heavily, his pupils and irises almost constricted. The Ouroboros Dragon's eyes softened in worry as she went to pat him on the head.

"My Issei. Are you all right?"

Issei held in a breath as he tried to calm himself. That was no doubt one of the weirdest sights he had ever seen.

'Who was that guy?! As soon as he took off his mask, my Inner World went pitch-black.'

"Hyoudou-san," Tsubaki began with a worried look on her face, "You look pale. Are you feeling all right?"

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Issei nodded in reassurance.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a weird dream."

The Devils and the Dragons remained silent, not wanting to ask what Issei's dream was about. Looking around the room, Great Red huffed and crossed his arms.

"Well, I'm starving. Who's for Chinese?"

At the mention of Chinese Food, Ophis suddenly gained a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. Issei widened his eyes, recognizing the look on Ophis' face.

'Oh, dear lord. I remember that look. Poor Fortune Cooky.'

"We don't have time for food," Sona began sternly, "We need to focus on what we need to improve on so we can be prepared for Sun Wukong's training."

"Actually Kaichou," Saji said with a chuckle, "I am pretty hungry. And plus, you can't really think or train on an empty stomach."

"...Very well," Sona reluctantly agreed, "I suppose we can all take some time to eat."

"So, where are we going to eat?" Rias asked, "Shall we order out, or just go inside the restaurant?"

"Let's order out," Akeno decided with a smile, "It saves us the trouble of all of us getting the food for ourselves."

"All right, so who wants to be the one who picks up the food?" Rias offered with a smile.

"My Issei, shall go." Ophis said in a voice that left no argument.

Issei gave the Ouroboros Dragon a blank look, while the latter gave him her familiar sly smile.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Middle of the City<strong>

Issei sighed as he crossed his arms. He could never say no to the Infinite Dragon God. It didn't help the fact that she stated that she would give Issei a 'special reward' if he went to pick up the Chinese Food.

Now Issei, being Issei, had no idea of Ophis' implication. She had said it in a seductive yet emotionless tone, that Issei wasn't able to pick up the supposed innuendo. It confused him even further when the Great Red kept laughing at him.

So now, Issei was stuck with picking up the delivery food. To be honest, Issei would have picked the food up anyway, seeing as Ophis had a 'rivalry' (if it could even be called that.), with the Fortune Cooky restaurant. He just hoped one of the employees wouldn't recognize him.

Looking around his surroundings, Issei put his hand on his head in confusion.

"Now that I think about it, I've never actually been to the restaurant before. And that's only because Ophis kept calling it. Damn. I should have asked her for directions."

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

At the sound of the scream, Issei turned around, and in front of him, a projected vehicle suddenly slammed into him, causing him and the car to crash into a nearby building. The people in the city cried out in shock at the scene of the young man getting hit by the car. They ran around in terror, fearful of what might happen next.

Wedged in the building, the vehicle moved about, and was shoved away, revealing an unharmed Issei. The young man got out of the building and dusted himself off.

'What the hell was that?'

"Y-you scum!"

Widening his eyes at the familiar voice, Issei looked up to see a familiar enemy.

"You?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

"Say it."

"Go decompose in your Domain."

"Oh, my dear sister. I am Death itself. I cannot die."

"Don't you get smart with me!"

"Haha. You're so easy to anger, Oblivion. Just say it."

"Sister, do not test me."

Death smiled as she happily bickered with her sister. It was a usual routine for them. In a way, Death served as the Troll in their sibling rivalry, while Oblivion was the short-tempered one in their relationship.

"...All right. I'll admit it. I have an interest in the son of Amaterasu. But it is only because of the energy he possesses. Nothing more."

"If you say so," Death said in a teasing voice, "But I feel like I must inform you that the berserker transformation of Issei is being kept in check by the God from the Bible. So there is a chance that the monstrous transformation that made you all 'hot and bothered', has changed."

Narrowing her eyes and blushing at the hot and bothered comment, Oblivion crossed her arms and looked away from her sister.

"D-do not accuse me of being superficial! I do not like him just because of that form of his!"

"Ah, so you do care about Issei." Death deduced as she smiled at her sister.

"Guh?!" Oblivion widened her eyes and covered her mouth, prompting Death to chuckle in amusement.

The embodiment of Non-Existence glared at Death for making it spout out its feelings like that. To have 'feelings' for a lower being than itself...it confused and irritated the hell out of Oblivion.

"Yes, even you can't deny, my dear sister." Death cooed.

Before Oblivion could reply, a vast pool of energy suddenly manifested in front of the two aspects of death. The dual personifications of despair looked on as the energy formed into the physique of a slender and curvaceous woman with black hair and purple eyes. Her long black hair was in the style of a large braid that spiraled down the front of her body. Her purple-colored orbs of sight seemed to exude a gentle and warm aura about them.

At the sight of the entity, Oblivion clenched her teeth and glared at the woman. Death, on the other hand, smiled at the female with a familial air around her.

"Sister. You've come to my Domain as well?" Death asked as she crossed her arms.

The woman gave Death a warm and gentle smile, which seemed to widen as she looked over at the irritated Oblivion. Giggling, the woman put her hand on her cheek in a coy manner.

"Fufu. I must say, it's been a long time since I've seen my adorable Onee-chans."

"Don't belittle us like we're children." Oblivion scoffed.

The entity maintained her smile, which seemed to unnerve the personification of Non-Existence.

"Hmm. Might I ask why you are visiting my realm at this time?" Death asked the entity.

Giggling once more, the woman kept her smile, while her eyes seemed to gain a childish yet menacing aura.

"I just wanted to talk to you about the adorable source of energy I've been sensing for a while."

Oblivion widened her eyes, and scowled at the woman once more.

"How the hell did you hear about-"

"Now, now." The woman interrupted with a gentle smile, "Don't be so jealous, my dear Onee-chan. I just want to talk about him."

"For the last time, I am not jealous!"

"Oh, my." Death said with an amused tone, "So you are interested in Issei Hyoudou as well? Eternity."

Eternity, the abstract entity that represented the time and reality within the Universe, giggled again and flashed her sisters a playful wink.

"Yes, I am very much interested." She admitted, much to Oblivion's chagrin.

* * *

><p><strong>Back at the Middle in the City<strong>

"Yoru...!"

Issei stared wide-eyed as he looked at the young man. The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto glared almost murderously at his cousin. He was still in his normal form, however, something strange was jutting out from the young man's back.

Issei noticed that there were tentacles composed of energy jutting out from Yoru's back. The son of Amaterasu got into a battle stance as he tried to focus.

'What is Yoru doing here? If he's here, does that mean that Rizevim is nearby? And what are those tentacles of energy behind him?'

He narrowed his eyes as he tried to sense the numerous energy signatures. He narrowed his eyes further when he couldn't detect the energy signature of Vali's grandfather.

'Damn. So Yoru's on his own!'

He looked up at the young man, who suddenly flew at him with a burst of speed. Issei prepared himself and flew towards his cousin. The son of the Moon and the son of the Sun crashed into each other, with the former causing them to collide onto the building.

Issei grunted as he blocked the tentacle's swipes. Yoru snarled and gripped Issei's face into a tight hold. Issei pried Yoru's grip off of him, and punched him in the face. This only provoked Yoru into a great rage.

Grabbing one of Yoru's tentacles, Issei swung his cousin and threw him towards a nearby vehicle. Yoru grunted as he collided with the vehicle, and he snarled darkly at Issei. Using his energy tentacles to support him, Yoru lifted himself up, and looked up just in time to see Issei flying towards him.

Manipulating his tentacles, Yoru tore off the door of the vehicle and threw it towards Issei, who dodged it. Gripping on the second door, Yoru repeated the same action, successful in stopping Issei in his pace.

Charging at Issei in a burst of speed, Yoru collided with his cousin, and the two rolled around, trying to overpower the other. Suddenly, an energy manifested around them, and the two cousins disappeared from sight.

* * *

><p><strong>In Another Section of the City<strong>

Issei and Yoru reappeared in the air, blocking each other's punches. The two grunted as they felt their powers cancel each other. Before they could continue their fight, they suddenly found themselves collided on top of a train.

The people riding the train gasped as they saw dents forming above the train. Issei and Yoru grunted in annoyance as they tried to keep a grip on the train. Moments later, Yoru used one of his tentacles to find a spot to hold himself, while Issei regained his balance quickly.

Looking at Yoru with serious eyes, Issei set himself into a focused stance. Yoru growled once more as his energy tentacles seemed to screech in irritation. Narrowing his eyes, Issei soared towards Yoru, who blocked Issei's incoming attack with his tentacles. Issei regained his balance and jumped back from his cousin to avoid his attack.

As he jumped to avoid Yoru's tentacle, Issei widened his eyes when he saw the incoming bridge. Narrowing his eyes, Issei lowered himself to avoid the top of the bridge, with Yoru performing the same action. Passing the bridge, Yoru sent one of his tentacles to grab Issei, who retaliated by kicking Yoru in the face.

"Gah!" Yoru shouted as he went to grab his cousin once more.

In successfully doing so, Yoru maneuvered his cousin's weight and attempted to throw Issei off of him. However, this tactic failed, as Issei maneuvered the weight of his cousin's energy tentacle and twisted it around to collide with Yoru. The momentum caused by the collision of the cousins caused the train to move off to the other side, prompting the passengers to scream out in fright.

Yoru growled as he struggled to get Issei off of him. Letting out an annoyed scoff, Yoru elbowed Issei in the gut, and used his tentacle to grab him once more. Lifting Issei up, Yoru slammed his cousin on the train, slammed him again on another side of the train, and maneuvered his cousin's weight to throw him far away.

Regaining his balance, Issei charged after Yoru, who narrowed his eyes in annoyance. Using his tentacles, Yoru sent them through the train's window, and grabbed two citizens by their throats. Grinning menacingly at the innocent man, Yoru threw the man away from the train.

Widening his eyes, Issei cursed and went to grab the man, teleporting him to a nearby building. Scowling darkly, Yoru threw the innocent woman off the train as well. Issei saw this action, and transmitted away to save the woman, dropping her off on another rooftop.

Showing disgust at his cousin's heroism, Yoru turned around and used his tentacles to travel on the top of the train, the energy causing another dent to damage the vehicle. Kneeling down, Yoru sent his tentacle to attack the train driver, knocking him unconscious.

Issei jumped onto the train, landing behind his cousin. Turning his head around to face his cousin, Yoru smirked darkly, and looked down at the train. His tentacle grabbed onto the engine and pulled it forward, causing the train to speed up to great degrees.

The people riding the train screamed in horror, and they collapsed onto each other. Completely breaking and tearing the engine off, Yoru's tentacle lifted it up and tossed it to Issei, who looked at his cousin in surprise. Flashing his cousin a twisted smirk, Yoru pointed to the device.

"You have a train to catch, cousin." He quipped mockingly.

Issei narrowed his eyes and went to stop his cousin, before a gigantic magic circle appeared from under Yoru. Yoru narrowed his eyes in annoyance, signifying that he too was not expecting the circle to appear from under him. Before both of them could react, Yoru suddenly disappeared, his presence far away for Issei to sense.

"AHHHHHHH!"

Hearing the terrified screams, Issei quickly took action and flew in front of the train, pushing with all his might to stop it. As he looked behind him, he saw that they were almost near the end of the tracks. Narrowing his eyes, Issei emitted an aura of silver-colored flames, and completely pushed back the train, causing it to stop.

With the end of the train's speed, the people sighed in relief, now without worry. Taking deep breaths, Issei climbed back onto the top of the train and sighed in tiredness. As he looked around his surroundings, he paused when he noticed a nearby restaurant, with the sign 'Fortune Cooky'.

Shaking his head, Issei palmed his face, wiping the sweat of exhaustion off of him. As he looked down to make sure the people were safe, Issei collapsed onto the train with a tired sigh.

'Where do all these guys come from?' He thought as he looked up at the sky.

* * *

><p><strong>The Student Council Room<strong>

"Hey Issei. You're back. It's about time we got food." Great Red said in his usual gruff voice.

"Newby, what happened to you?" Saji asked in concern.

"...A little family reunion."

Issei sighed as he placed the Chinese food down on the table. Ophis gazed at her mate worriedly, while the Great Red greedily grabbed his food inside the bag. Tsubaki's eyebrows descended in worry, as she went to inspect Issei's injury.

"Family reunion," Tsubaki repeated in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Well, Yoru attacked me while I was trying to get the food. During our fight, we ended up crashing onto a train."

"A train?" Sona asked in disbelief.

"Was Rizevim with Yoru?" Rias asked with narrowed eyes.

"No, he wasn't," Issei said seriously, "That's what's puzzling. I get the strange feeling that Yoru acted on his own, and attacking me was a part of his own doing."

"Well, where is he now?" Akeno asked.

"...I don't know. One of those magic portals you guys specialize in using, appeared from under him and transmitted him away. As far as I know, he's probably back with Rizevim."

"Well," Sona began as she fixed her glasses, "We really should concentrate on our plans with Sun Wukong. Also, It seems that Yoru has a desire to reawaken the Trihexa as well."

"You, are incorrect." Ophis said as she walked over to Issei.

"Huh?" Sona replied in confusion.

Healing her injured mate, Ophis moved her gaze to the Sitri Devil.

"My Issei is the son of Amaterasu-omikami, while Yoru is the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. The spawn of the Moon has absolutely no desire to awaken the Trixeha at all. All he wishes, is for the destruction of the Sun."

"Destruction of the Sun?" Saji repeated in a bit of shock, "Why the hell does he want to do that?"

"The Sun and the Moon have been in conflict since the day Amaterasu moved to another location from Tsukuyomi."

"Is that why this guy hates Newby so much? Because of the separation of the Sun and the Moon?"

"That is correct." Ophis said with a nod.

"That's strange," Rias said as she placed her hand on her chin, "Azazel told us that the Sun and the Moon are somehow related to 666. How is that possible?"

"I think that's something we all have to think about." Akeno said as an afterthought.

"Ise-itoko!"

Issei widened his eyes and turned to see Leiko running towards him. In her hand was her cellphone, the screen showing a video.

"Look at this real quick." She suggested to her cousin.

Issei complied and pressed the play button.

* * *

><p><em>This breaking news, in the city of Japan, an unknown figure stopped an incoming train. Witnesses claim the one who stopped the train, was a young man who emitted flames with the color of silver. Viewers have no idea who this young man is, and what he was doing at the train station in the first place. All we know, is that this young hero saved a crowd of citizens.<em>

_We'll be right back, with more breaking news._

* * *

><p>It was completely silent in the Student Council room. The Devils slowly turned their attention to Issei, who looked wide-eyed at the video. Eating his food, Great Red let out a huff of pride and chowed down, while Ophis smiled at her mate's display of heroism.<p>

'They all saw me?' Issei thought in shock.

Leiko turned off her phone and looked to her cousin with a worried look on her face.

"Ise-itoko. Are you all right? What happened at the train station?"

At the question, Issei looked up at his cousin, and he opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. He then sighed and palmed his face, prompting Leiko to frown in great worry for her cousin.

"It was a bit of a .family reunion, Leiko-san."

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

"Why are you so interested in the boy, Eternity?" Oblivion asked.

Eternity shrugged playfully, and then gave the aspect of Non-Existence a curious look.

"Actually, I was merely messing with you, my dear sister. I am not interested in Amaterasu's son at all."

"Oh? You're not?" Death asked in genuine confusion.

"No, I'm not. Well, not enough on a very high level. I have all the time to learn about him whenever I wish, so I'm not that eager or interested. In fact, I was sent here to gather information about him. From you."

"Sent here?" Oblivion asked as she rose an eyebrow, "Who ordered you to descend into this realm."

Eternity gave her sister that perpetual gentle grin, and giggled softly.

"Who else would it be? Our creator of course."

At this revelation, Death and Oblivion widened their eyes in curiosity. Their creator? That was strange.

"What are you talking about?" Death asked.

"Yes. I have the feeling that you are teasing us once again, Eternity." Oblivion said with a menacing tone.

"I can assure you, my dear Onee-chans, that I am not making light of you this time. Our creator has harbored an interest in the son of Amaterasu since the day he was born."

Oblivion narrowed her eyes at Eternity's words.

"I sincerely doubt that is the case. We all know that the Above is known for being apathetic and completely cold. I've never even heard it show interest in anything."

"Yes, for once I must side with Oblivion," Death agreed as she crossed her arms, "the Above has never shown interest in anything ever since it created the Omniverse, the Multiverse, and so on. I find it hard to believe that it has taken an interest in Darling."

"The son of Amaterasu is a lower being, Eternity. Why would the Above suddenly regard and take heed to Issei Hyoudou's existence?" Oblivion said in disbelief.

Eternity's smile faded and she sighed. She predicted that she would receive these questions from the dual aspects of death. She had to admit, she too was a little surprised and intrigued that the Above had ordered her to retrieve information about Issei Hyoudou.

"Believe me, my Onee-chans, I am just as confused as you are. The Above has never expressed this kind of behavior before. Regardless, our creator wants to know about the son of Amaterasu."

"Eternity," Oblivion said in an annoyed tone, "the Above is responsible for the existence of all life in the Ominverse, Multiverse, and even beyond that. It's the progenitor of all that exists within the Omniverse. It's also the supreme being of the Omniverse, and surpasses us and every other abstract entiy."

"I'm aware of that, Oblivion." Eternity replied.

"If you are aware, then you must remember that the Above is a cosmic overseer of all existence. If it wanted to learn about Issei Hyoudou, it could already do so effortlessly." Death pointed out.

"I am also aware of that, Death. However, it asked me to retrieve information. I do not know why it is not performing the act itself. Perhaps, the Above is choosing not to interfere in this specific Universe."

"And why is that?" Oblivion asked as she crossed her arms.

"It's very simple. It does not wish to do so. After all, it doesn't really care about trivial matters."

Death let out a deep breath, allowing a gray and eerie mist to pour out of her lips.

"Very well. I shall tell you about Darling."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

Appearing in his Inner World, Issei looked around cautiously. The last time he appeared, a figure with a horned mask had approached him, claiming he had known him for a long time. Issei really didn't know what to think about this.

"Issei."

Issei turned around to see an elderly man dressed in silver robes. The old man also had glowing white eyes. Isse widened his eyes when he sensed the tremendous power emitting from the old man.

"What is this?" Issei asked in confusion.

The God of the Bible remained silent as he floated over to Issei, who reacted by going into a defensive stance.

"My intention is not to attack you." The God from the Bible stated in a calm voice.

Issei widened his eyes further at the old man's claim.

'What? What does he mean?'

Taking advantage of Issei's momentary pause, the God from the Bible covered his own hand with bright silver energy, and impaled Issei in his stomach.

"AHHH!

Issei gasped at the unexpected pain, and his pupils constricted when he felt something being pulled out of him. A pool of blood formed and manifested in front of Issei, revealing a figure similar to the one Issei had seen last time.

The being had the same body physique as Issei, except his entire body was sheet white. instead of the black coat Issei wore while wielding the power of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the being wore a white coat. Covering the being's face, was the exact horned mask.

Issei took a step back as he looked at the figure. The God from the Bible looked quietly at the being next to him, and slowly looked back at him.

"What's up?" The being greeted, his voice garbled and echoed.

Issei lifted himself up as he listened closely to the voice. The being's voice sounded exactly like his own, except it had a reverberating effect, and it had a bit of a high pitch to it.

The being moved his hand, prompting a manifestation of another Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi to appear. Lifting the sword up, the being pointed it to Issei, who looked on in shock at the replica.

"It's been a long time, Issei."

Unable to respond, Issei stood there, completely confounded by the scene in front of him. Putting the sword back into its handle, the being rose his head.

"What's up with stupid look on your face," The being asked as he started to remove his mask, "Don't tell me...that you don't recognize me?"

Issei widened his eyes as he looked the figure.

'What the hell?! He looks just like me!'

The manifestation of Issei's anger, now rendered sane thanks to the Biblical God, smirked in amusement at Issei, and put his mask back on.

"Huh. So are you surprised?"

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

"Ah, I see. The son of Amaterasu is indeed a very interesting young boy." Eternity admitted as she put her hands to her side.

Death smiled as her sibling complimented Issei, while Oblivion stood with her arms crossed. Losing her smile, Eternity tilted her head curiously.

"Sister," Eternity said to Death, "You stated that the God from the Bible...infused a portion of his own soul into the boy in order to counter the anger within his soul."

"Yes, I did say that."

"Does that affect the son of Amaterasu at all?" Oblivion asked.

"Well..." Death thought as she tilted her head in wonder, "That I am unsure of. The Solar Energy within his body, combined with the wrath and fury deep within his heart, is what allowed Darling to obtain those transformations of his. I am not sure if the presence of the God from the Bible 'cleanses' the manifestation of Issei's anger."

"Hmm. That is strange," Eternity tilted her head once more, "It is very puzzling. The God from the Bible...such a mysterious figure. Why would he place a portion of his own soul into Issei Hyoudou?"

"Did you not hear what Death just stated?" Oblivion asked her.

"Oh, I heard her, my dear Onee-chan." Eternity teased with a smile, "I am merely asking why Issei? Why would the Biblical God deliberately help the son of Amaterasu?"

"That is a topic that we must all think about." Death suggested with a smile, "Perhaps to thwart a new evil of sorts? Amaterasu created Issei Hyoudou for a reason. So if anything were to happen to her, then Darling would rise to save the Earth. Perhaps even the Universe."

"So he is a Shinto Messiah of sorts?" Oblivion guessed.

"Most likely." Death replied, unsure of herself.

It was now silent in the Realm of Death. The three entities that represented the Endless, remained quiet as they contemplated. It was puzzling that a lower being could spark so much interest from the primordial entities. Hell, the 'Above', the supreme being of the Omniverse, had suddenly gained an interest in the son of Amaterasu.

The 'Above' constantly surveyed the many Multiverses and Universes, its only reason for doing so, was due to boredom. It didn't particularly care what happened to any of its own creations. In fact, despite its creation of the Omniverse, the 'Above' wasn't particularly an entity of compassion. Nor was it an entity of malice. In simpler terms, it remained neutral, and simply didn't care about anything.

The feeling of boredom was a known characteristic of primordial beings. Death, Eternity, and Oblivion, as they were primordial entities, were not exempt from boredom. They all had specific roles they had to fill in the Universe, regardless if they enjoyed it or not. Death represented the decay and destruction of the Universe. Oblivion represented the counter-force to the Universe, and the Non-Existence. Eternity, on the other hand, embodied the time and reality of the Universe.

However, there were many other primordial entities in the Universe, and the Endless trio were relieved at that. Death had only taken an interest in Issei Hyoudou because he ended up getting killed, therefore being sent to its Realm. Oblivion's interest was because Issei avoided passing into its Realm. Eternity seemed to have no particular interest in Issei, as it was ordered by the 'Above' to gather information about him.

The 'Above' normally didn't care about 'lesser beings' than itself. It had perhaps the most uncaring and aloof demeanor out of all the primordial entities. However, that isn't to say the 'Above' was an immoral entity. After all, it never interfered within the boundaries of its own creations. Whenever there were problems in one of its own Universes, the 'Above' watched the conflict with bored eyes. It preferred to watch the beings in their particular Universe find out how to solve the personal conflict.

If the beings so happened to fail in restoring the balance to their own Universe, the 'Above' didn't react. It never did. If tempted to do so, it would merely regenerate another Universe to see the same result. The 'Above' was genuinely a bored entity.

But now, it had taken an interest in the Universe that held the son of Amaterasu. As of now, the immense powers of the Sun and the Moon share a synergy with the seals of the Trihexa, also known as the Apocalyptic Beast. The 'Above' was interested to see how the son of Amaterasu and the culmination of the Three Factions would deal with this threat.

Closing her purple eyes, Eternity sent her siblings a smile, and began to fade away.

"Thank you for your time, my dear Onee-chans. I'll be sure to give this information to our creator."

Death smiled and nodded farewell to her sister. However, Oblivion stopped her other sibling from leaving.

"Hold on, Eternity. May I ask you something?"

"Huh? Of course you may." Eternity said as she tilted her head.

"...It's about our creator. What form has it taken this time?"

"Hmm. Well, it hasn't taken a form for sometime now. Although in one of its 'bored' sessions, I heard it has contemplated on taking on the form of a female."

"A female?" Death asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Eternity replied, "It has regarded on taking a feminine form for quite some time."

"That...is very strange." Oblivion commented as she crossed her arms, "Coming from our creator...boredom must have really taken a profound toll on it."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Room<strong>

Leiko sat on Issei's bed as she watched her cousin sleep. When the news came on and reported that a young man surrounded by a flaming aura had saved the people in the train, Leiko immediately knew they were talking about Issei. After all, out of all the people who lived in Japan, he was the only 'Super Saiyan' that existed. At least that's what Leiko thought.

The other reason Leiko knew that her cousin had saved the train, was because she was one of the citizens who rode the train. After saying goodbye to Asia and the Fallen Angels, Leiko didn't have anything else to do, so she decided to take a stroll around Japan to kill some time. She in no way expected her beloved cousin to appear and save her and the people in the train.

She had no idea who Issei was fighting. However, she could tell by the mutual looks on her cousin's face, and the guy he was fighting, that they were in no way 'friends'. The guy Issei was fighting seemed to have an expression of pure wrath and hatred.

Sighing, Leiko lifted her hand and caressed Issei's hair in order to get it out of his eyes.

'Ise-itoko...saved me again. Not only me, but the people on the train. How many times has he done this so far?'

She had already lost count. Removing her hand from Issei, Leiko slowly got up and walked over to her cousin's bookshelf. Putting her hand under her chin, Leiko turned around to look at the sleeping Issei, and frowned softly. Moving her attention back to the bookshelf, Leiko selected a book.

"...Return of the Sun." Leiko said in remembrance. "I remember the day he got this. The day when I took him to the library that one time."

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

As Amaterasu stood silently with the wind blowing through her grass fields, she suddenly sensed a colossal surge of energy near her. Widening her eyes just slightly, the Goddess of the Sun turned around to see the Ouroboros Dragon herself.

"Ophis?"

The Infinite Dragon God nodded to the Goddess, and walked over to her.

"Hello, Mother-in-law." She greeted in her monotone voice.

Amaterasu blushed a little at Ophis' name for her. It still shocked her beyond belief that Issei had married Ophis. Or in technical terms, Ophis had claimed Issei as her one and only mate. Either way, Amaterasu found it strange that she had become the mother-in-law to one of the most powerful existences in the Universe.

Gods and Goddesses be damned!

"Um. hello, Ophis." Amaterasu replied in politeness. "What are you doing here?"

"I have come to ask you about your sibling. The God of the Moon, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto."

At the mention of her other brother, Amaterasu's expression noticeably darkened somewhat. Ophis noted the change in her mother-in-law's facial expression, comparing it to the times whenever Issei was in the first evolution of his Solar form.

'It seems that my mate has taken after Amaterasu and her mannerisms.'

"Tsukuyomi." Amaterasu said with a tone laced with venom.

Keeping her cool, the Goddess of the Sun calmed herself and softened her expression as she looked back at the Ouroboros Dragon.

"What do you want to know?"

"I would like to know why you separated from Tsukuyomi."

"...No one's asked me that for a very long time, Ophis. But I'll tell you."

Amaterasu took a deep breath, and placed her hands to her side.

"Tsukuyomi seemed to be in a bored phase of sorts. So he decided to move in with me, and I granted permission. We were genuinely getting along for a while. But sometime later, I was invited to a feast by a dear friend of mine. Her name was Uke Mochi."

Ophis tilted her head at the name.

'The Goddess of Food. That, is interesting.' She noted in her thoughts.

"Anyway," Amaterasu began as she sighed, "I asked Tsukuyomi to go with me to the feast. However...Tsukuyomi had never seen the way how Uke...prepared her food. When he witnessed her performance, he...killed her."

"...I see."

Amaterasu felt tears stirring in her eyes at the horrible memory.

"It upset me so much that he would do something like that. And from that point on-"

"The Sun and the Moon no longer see 'eye to eye'," Ophis interrupted in a cool tone. "The reason why the Sun and the Moon are no longer seen together."

"Yes." Amaterasu said in a tone of melancholy.

"Perhaps that is why the spawn of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto harbors a deep hatred of my darling mate." Ophis said curiously.

Amaterasu widened her eyes at Ophis' sentence.

"Spawn? What do you mean?"

Ophis looked at her mother-in-law and tilted her head.

"Were you not aware? A manifestation of the Moon also exists. Tsukuyomi created an offspring as well."

The Goddess of the Sun widened her eyes further, while Ophis continued.

"My Issei, and the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto are stated to engage in a battle that could potentially unseal the Trixeha. That, should be a curious event."

"What?!" Amaterasu exclaimed in confusion, "What does my little Sun and Tsukuyomi's son have to do with 666?!"

Ophis tilted her head, and offered her mother-in-law a shrug.

"That is something I do not know. However, my prediction is because the energies of the Sun and the Moon cancel each other out. Due to their different power surges, the Sun and the Moon are imbalanced with each other."

Amaterasu didn't know how to respond to Ophis' explanation. She wasn't aware that Tsukuyomi had a son.

'So. The tension between the Sun and the Moon has passed on to my little Sun, and Tskuyomi's son as well."

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Headquarters<strong>

"I must say, you've conjured up a valuable team, Azazel."

"Oh. I'm so honored to receive a compliment from the famous Sun Wukong." Azazel quipped.

"Humph."

Azazel smiled as he looked up at the meter tall Monkey King. He was covered in golden fur, his face being wrinkled and creased. He carried a staff-like weapon, prayer beads on his forehead, and wore shades. In his mouth was a smoking pipe, that emitted smoke ever so often.

"Are you ready to train the members of DxD, Wukong?"

Blowing out smoke from his pipe, Sun Wukong shrugged in boredom.

"That depends on how strong the members are. I am actually interested to see how Vali Lucifer and Issei Hyoudou fare in my training. I remember you told me that Tannin trained the son of Amaterasu. However...he still needs to be disciplined.

"That's right," Azazel agreed as he waved the cloud of smoke away from him, "Either way, I appreciate you helping us, and for the taking the position as Sub-Leader."

"Don't mention it."

The room then went quiet, with the cloud of smoke from Wukong's pipe changing the temperature of the room.

"Azazel. How do you propose we deal with the son of Amaterasu and the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto? I'm sure you are aware of the 'rivalry' between the Sun and the Moon?"

"Yes," Azazel replied as he crossed his arms, "I'm fully aware. The fact that Rizevim has that Yoru kid on his side makes it even worse. The Sun and the Moon are the complete opposite of each other, which means that Issei and Yoru have a complete set of contrasting abilities."

"Hmm. Perhaps we will find out how to deal with the conflict when the training begins."

"...I sure hope so." Azazel said with a sigh.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Room<strong>

Leiko laid next to Issei on his bed, her arms wrapped around his neck in a comfortable position. Earlier, she was reading the book Issei had picked out, before she had become a bit tired herself. So she went to sleep next to her cousin.

Even though he was sleeping, Issei felt his eyes tremble every so often, moving his head to the side as he tried to calm himself.

Opening her eyes for a moment, Leiko remained silent and went to kiss her cousin on the forehead, which miraculously seemed to calm him down for the moment. Making sure her cousin had settled down, Leiko rested her head against his and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

Issei couldn't believe what he was seeing. First the elderly man who suddenly appeared within his Inner World, and now, another version of himself who wore a horned mask.

'What is going on here?' The young man thought in confusion.

The manifestation of Issei's anger lifted up his mask, and smirked widely at Issei.

"Humph. You look like an idiot, standing all shell-shocked like that. It's not a good look for ya."

Issei closed his mouth, and looked over to the God from the Bible, who was giving him a stoic gaze.

"W-what is this?" Issei asked in great confusion. "Who are you two? And what are you doing in my Inner World?"

His eyes then widened as he remembered the two very important beings that lived in his subconscious.

"Where are Ddraig and Orochi?"

**{...We're still here partner.}**

**[Isssssssei.]**

Issei didn't show it, but he felt himself relax somewhat. So Ddraig and Orochi still remained in his mind. Now the only question was who were these two beings that had just popped up out of nowhere.

Issei looked back at the manifestation of his anger, and he pointed curiously at him.

"What kind of mask is that?"

"...Huh." The manifestation rose an eyebrow in amusement, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"It's understandable that you are not aware of what this form is, Issei." The God of the Bible stated.

Issei turned to look at the God from the Bible with a look of confusion.

"Do you remember the manifestation of Death, and the test it gave you in order to combat the anger within your soul?"

Issei widened his eyes at the memory.

"Yeah I do. I remember Shinigami-san told me how to do so. When she locked me in that sphere of shadows, I was trapped with the lost souls in her realm. When I tried to fight them off...I blacked out."

"That is correct." God said as he looked over at the manifestation, "This is him. The being standing in front of you is the complete manifestation of your inner fury."

"What?!"

"Humph. You really are surprised, aren't you?" The manifestation quipped.

The young man didn't know what to say in this situation. The God from the Bible, however, said more.

"This is the form you took when you were in conflict with the lost souls that existed within Death's Realm. This is also the form that is the result of the culmination of all the anger you suppressed over the years."

"So what is he doing here? And what are you doing here? Who are you?"

The God from the Bible closed his eyes. "You'll know in time."

The manifestation of Issei's anger rolled his eyes in annoyance, but he held his tongue.

"However," God continued his reply, "The reason we are here is for an important matter."

"...And what is that?" Issei asked, genuinely curious.

It was at that moment the manifestation and the God from the Bible began to emit a massive surge of energy.

"We will engage in a battle with you. As one." They said in unison.

"As one?"

The two entities suddenly soared towards each other, their energies combining into the entity Issei saw in his last 'dream'. Issei stood cautiously as he recognized the entity.

The combined manifestation of Issei's powers held up the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, and immediately after, the sword combusted. The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was suddenly engulfed in a vast aura of fire.

Issei widened his eyes when an immense pillar of flames manifested around the new manifestation of his powers. The pillar of flames reached all the way up to the sky of his Inner World. The young man widened his eyes further when six more flame pillars animated and surrounded the fused manifestation.

'This power!' Issei noted with admiration, 'The flames are so intense!'

The fusion of the Biblical God and the manifestation of Issei's anger, narrowed his eyes and flared out his energy in the form of a massive blazing firestorm. After doing that, he directed the flaming Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi towards Issei.

"Issei Hyoudou...prepare yourself!" The fused being declared as he sped towards the surprised Issei.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Living Room<strong>

"You sure have strange urges for a human, don't you?"

"I-it's not like that!"

Great Red smirked at the blushing Leiko. The two were sitting in the Hyoudou residence living room, the location where they usually had their conversations. The Apocalypse Dragon had once again caught Leiko cuddling with her adoptive cousin.

Leiko's blush darkened as she endured the verbal antics of the True Red Dragon Emperor God. The only consolation that Leiko greatly appreciated, was that the Great Red was not in his 'Girly-Red' form. Instead, he was in the Biker form he took when he and Ophis visited the Kuoh Academy Class Observation event.

God, that female form of his creeped the hell out of her.

"Don't deny it, Leiko. It seems your feelings towards Issei goes beyond familial terms. It seems I was right. You do have a cousin-compl-"

"No, I do not!" Leiko exclaimed in a bit of embarrassment, "Ise-itoko is just my cousin! That's all."

"Humph. Whatever floats your hormones."

"The _phrase_ is 'whatever floats your boat'."

"I know what I said." Great Red snickered in great amusement.

"..."

"You know, you really are strange for a human. I didn't think it was possible to harbor feelings for a relative. Whether they were adoptive or not." Great Red mused.

"Can we please not talk about this?" Leiko said, her voice muffled by her hands covering her mouth.

"Humph. Not a chance. I've noticed how you act around Issei."

"It's only because I'm protective of him! I don't want him to get hurt or anything." Leiko insisted.

"Why are you so overprotective of him? You can't do anything to help him." The Great Red quipped.

If she hadn't already known that the Great Red could be brutally blunt with his words, Leiko would've been a little hurt by the Dragon's reply.

"It's just that...I don't know," Leiko admitted with a sad expression on her face, "I don't what I feel around Ise-itoko anymore."

"Hmm. Well, not to worry. You're not the only one who wants to protect Issei."

Leiko lifted her eyes up in surprise as she looked at the Apocalypse Dragon.

"Don't tell me you forgot," Great Red said in an annoyed tone, "You don't think Ophis and I care about Issei, too? We may be selfish and uncaring Dragons, but we're not that bad! Geez!"

Issei's adoptive cousin stared at the Dragon with wide eyes. The Apocalypse Dragon huffed and crossed his arms.

"Ophis and I care for the boy as well, as we would a family. Ophis, a being who used to crave silence, loves him for god's sake. The Nothingness of Infinity, gaining emotions for such a being that pales in comparison to its own power and vitality."

"..."

"The boy has changed us. He has changed Ophis, and, although I loathe to admit it, but damn it, he's changed me too. I don't know how Issei does it, but he has the ability to change people."

"..."

"Huh. It's ironic. He started out as a shut-in, only to become some sort of Shinto hero. Or hell, a solar god or something."

Leiko didn't know what to say at Great Red's revelation. Her cousin truly was an abnormal being. He started out as a shy and reclusive shut-in, then a ticking firebomb, and now...Leiko didn't know what Issei was now.

The two sat in silence, with the female not knowing how to respond to the Dragon's reveal. Sitting back into his seat and flipping his biker cap, Great Red sent Leiko a sideways' glance.

"And besides, he already has a harem. So you're not the only one who has to worry about him."

"...What was that you just said?"

"What?"

"That word. What you just said. Ise-itoko has what?"

"A harem."

"Do you know how old he is?!" Leiko shouted, her protective instincts towards Issei resurfacing.

"What the hell are you so worried about?!" Great Red shouted out in annoyed confusion.

"Ise-itoko is seventeen years old! He's too young for a harem!"

"Bitch, no one is too young to have a harem." Great Red lied through his teeth, albeit with a blank look on his face.

Ignoring the insulting name, Leiko pointed to the Great Red and scowled.

"Aside from that, do you really think Ise-itoko is fit for a harem? In case you haven't noticed, he's not a pervert. He doesn't even qualify for having the traits of a pervert. Second, he already has Ophis. Third, Ophis is way too possessive of my cousin. She would never let him have a harem. And lastly, Ise-itoko cannot love someone other than Ophis in a romantic sense!"

Feeling slightly amused at Leiko's attempts to regain her breathing, Great Red tossed his biker cap up into the air and caught it.

"What was that last part?" The Apocalypse Dragon asked.

"Issei can't love someone else in a romantic sense. It wouldn't...be right. And not just my Ise-itoko. Pretty much everyone. I just don't believe that one person can love a group of people in the romantic sense! It makes no sense at all."

"That is true. But what about the other way around?" Great Red challenged.

"...What do you mean?"

"It's true that Issei only has his heart for Ophis. And Ophis clearly has her heart on Issei entirely. So Issei only has eyes for Ophis. But what about the other way around? What if a group of people...have feelings for that one person?"

Leiko was stumped.

Taking Leiko's silence as a sign to continue, Great Red assumed the form of a therapist. Leiko rose an eyebrow to see Great Red dressed up in a professional manner, but she listened nonetheless.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but there are a lot of women that seem to show interest in Issei. You already have Ophis, who's practically married to him, so she really doesn't count. Then there's Death, then the Angel Seraph Gabriel, that Shinra girl with the weird square glasses, the Leviathan Maou, and the girl who's dressed like Chun-Li."

"...T-there's no way all those girls can like Ise-itoko!" Leiko said in disbelief.

"I never said they liked Issei. I said they only had an interest in him. Well Gabriel, the Satan with the title of Leviathan, the teenage Chun-Li girl, and the Shinra girl seem to harbor slight feelings for Issei. Even so, I could be wrong. At the very least, there's one way to describe Issei's situation."

"And what is that?" Leiko asked dryly.

"He's in an Unknown or an Unwanted Harem!" Great Red declared.

"..."

"Or! Or! He could be in an One-sided Harem!"

"Is there more you have to say?" Leiko asked sarcastically.

"One thing I do know, is that Death has a crush on him."

"How can Death have a crush on someone?"

"As far as I'm concerned, it is not just Death that has an interest in Issei. There's a whole set of entities just like it. Hell, Issei might have attracted a large number of primordial entities while he was in Death's Domain."

"Ise-itoko's...only seventeen. He can't handle all those women. Or...those anthropomorphic personifications who, might I add, have no gender at all."

"Hey, he's your cousin. I don't know how the hell he manages to attract all these women, or the agender primordial manifestations."

"...My Ise-itoko is such an abnormal being."

"Heh. I just thought of something funny."

"How can any of this be funny?"

"No, listen real quick," Great Red insisted with a huge grin, "For most of the women Issei has come in contact with. Have you noticed a pattern?"

"..."

"Hahahaha! It's so damn funny! Most of them are older than him! "

"...What?!"

"You didn't know? Ophis has been around since the beginning of time, so she's practically a super cougar! Gabriel, Serafall Leviathan, and hell even Death, are older than Issei!"

"...My cousin's an unintentional cougar's prey." Leiko said in disbelief.

"Kuh kuh kuh!" Great Red chuckled in great amusement, "Ophis...a super cougar! That's rich!"

"Be silent, Baka-Red."

Leiko and Great Red turned to see an irritated Ophis glaring at the latter with annoyed eyes. Great Red smirked in reply and simply moved his attention to his biker cap. The Ouroboros Dragon maintained her glare towards the Apocalypse Dragon, her dark gray eyes twitching ever so slightly.

"I, am not a cougar. By saying that, you mistake me for a feline creature with gray fur. I, am not a feline, and I do not have gray fur. Therefore, you are wrong, Baka-Red."

Great Red suppressed the urge to laugh by covering his mouth with his hand. Leiko, wanting to soothe the tension between the siblings, spoke to Ophis in a calm voice.

"Um, Ophis," Leiko began cautiously, "That's not the 'cougar' Red was talking about."

Ophis slowly turned her attention to her adoptive cousin-in-law, and tilted her head.

"What was he implying?" She asked in a deceiving calm tone.

Leiko knew she would have to choose her words carefully. It was hard to explain the double meaning for an otherwise innocent word. Taking a deep breath, Leiko straightened herself in her seat.

"Ophis. A cougar is an older woman who seeks a casual relationship with a younger man."

Ophis' expression didn't change at all, but she made her emotions known as she looked back to Great Red. The Apocalypse Dragon snickered a little, and he crossed his arms.

"Let that answer sink in, Ophis." He teased.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

As if by instinct to defend himself, Issei lifted his version of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi to block the attack of the fusion of his anger and God. Their swords clashed against each other, the release of their energies causing the Inner World to tremble. The fusion pushed Issei forward, causing the young man to soar backwards and crash though a building. Only to crash into another one.

He seemed to be crashing into a lot of buildings lately.

Pushing to eject himself out of the hard surface of the building, Issei looked up at the new manifestation of his powers. Surrounding the fusion, was a vast geyser of blazing firestorms. The intense heat from the flames engulfed the large area of Issei's Inner World.

Narrowing his eyes, the fusion lifted up the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and pointed it towards Issei, who got into a defense position. Suddenly, an immense wall composed of flames surrounded Issei, and the young man found himself trapped within a huge contained sphere of blazes.

Issei almost trembled from the powerful and intense heat of the fusion's flames. As far as he knew, he'd never been able to manifest these particular flames in any of his Solar transformations.

Moving concentration to the fight, Issei soared through the piercing flames, wincing in surprise at the intense pain as a result. As he moved up, his eyes widened when the fusion appeared in front of him, and he was suddenly shot up into the air. Recovering before he could hit the top of his Inner World, Issei turned around to see the fusion about to attack. Lifting the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in defense, Issei clashed swords with the fusion, before the latter put more pressure on his sword, and sent Issei into another building.

A cloud of dust emerged as a result of Issei's spot on the building, almost preventing the fusion from seeing him. Narrowing his eyes, the fusion scoffed in dismay.

"Is this all you can do, Issei Hyoudou?"

He waited for a response, unfortunately nothing came to answer his question.

"Humph. Then it seems I've wasted my time. What a disappointment." The fusion scoffed as he turned to leave.

"Hold on!"

Raising an eyebrow, the fusion of God and Issei's rage turned to see a struggling Issei lifting himself up from the building.

"I'm not done yet." Issei declared as he stood up straight, "It'll be a cold day in the Underworld before I fall. I have a responsibility to do. And you can be damn sure I'll complete the task that was given to me! Even if I have to die again trying."

"...So naive." The fusion quipped before he charged again.

Issei was ready this time, and charged at a similar pace to the fusion, clashing swords with him once more. The auras of the twin Kusanagi-no-Tsurugis seemed to flare in Issei's Inner World, causing it to change the environment and area of it.

Issei and the fusion clashed once more as they placed pressure on their swords. The fusion narrowed his eyes as he looked into Issei's own.

"It appears...that you are finally taking this fight seriously. It took you long enough...to understand that I am not to be trifled with!" The fusion declared as he transmitted away.

Issei narrowed his eyes and closed them as he concentrated to sense the fusion's next move. His eyes widened in surprise when a pool of blood suddenly gushed out of his shoulder.

"Gah!" Issei shouted as he held his shoulder.

'What speed! I couldn't even sense him! He's amazingly strong, too!'

Reappearing far away from Issei, the fusion scoffed in irritation and swung the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in a simple wave.

"Destroy Everything...So That Not Even Ashes will Remain!"

A gigantic inferno manifested as a result, and continued to grow to a massive size. Issei turned around and his eyes widened as he saw the immense power emitting from the inferno.

Shortly after, several immense pillars of flames surrounded Issei as well. The fusion gave Issei an intense glare as he watched to see what Issei would do next.

Issei almost felt himself lose consciousness as he tried to endure through the overwhelming blazes. He merely stood in silence, his mind tense as he attempted to think seriously.

'Something isn't right. I don't understand this at all. I'm getting the feeling that he's not taking this fight seriously. Or...is he not trying to kill me? If he wanted do so, he would have done it the moment the fusion came to existence.'

The fusion of the Biblical God and the manifestation of Issei's anger readied himself as he went to deliver another attack to Issei. Absorbing the vast pool of flames, the fusion clashed swords with Issei, the flames of his Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi overpowering Issei's version.

"Do you truthfully know who you are up against, Issei Hyouodu?!" The fusion challenged.

Pushing Issei away from him, the fusion went to attack Issei once more. Issei blocked his attacks, pushing the fusion back. Narrowing his eyes, the fusion increased the intensity of his flames around the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, and went to charge Issei.

Suddenly, Issei lowered his guard, and held his arms to the side. The fusion widened his eyes, but before he could react, his Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi pierced through Issei's stomach. Issei didn't disappear, which was the opposite of what the fusion expected him to do.

Lifting his head up, Issei gave the fused manifestation of his powers a smile.

"I guess I figured it out, huh?" Issei said with a melancholic tone.

The fusion maintained his wide-eyed stare, until his expression took on a more somber look.

"Yes, you finally realized at last."

Issei's smile remained as he found that he couldn't feel pain from the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

"I-I don't feel anything at all. It's a weird feeling."

"As it should be," The fusion remarked as he looked up at Issei.

The two beings stared up at each other and then looked around their surroundings. The Inner World was destroyed, the skyscrapers and sky scorched by the overwhelming blazes.

"You've finally accepted, haven't you Issei Hyoudou."

Issei nodded in a serious manner.

"...Yeah. It's just as Shinigami-san said. Anger can't be destroyed. In spite of that...it can be used in a positive manner."

"Exactly. So you finally accepted that fact. It took you a long time to do so."

"I guess I just needed a little push." Issei said.

The fusion didn't reply.

Suddenly, an flame-like aura manifested around the fusion, before it spread across Issei. The aura enveloped Issei within, representing the acceptance of his anger. What was left of the fusion, was the Biblical God himself, watching Issei reunite with his emotions.

As he watched the Inner World reform itself after all of the destruction, the God from the Bible began to fade.

"We will converse again soon, Issei Hyoudou." The Biblical God said as he disappeared from the Inner World to Issei's soul.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Room<strong>

Brown eyes fluttered open, and the owner of those eyes shot up as he rubbed his head. Issei sighed as he shook his head. As he looked around his room, Issei allowed a warm smile to form on his face.

'...Welcome back.' Issei said, referring to the manifestation of his anger.

"My Issei."

At the call of his name, Issei looked up, and his eyes widened. In front of him with all her well-endowed and naked glory, was the Ouroboros Dragon herself. Her long black hair was sweeped against her back, with her rather large breasts firm, and her long shapely legs set together.

Issei blinked several times, and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. He stopped rubbing his eyes, and found that a voluptuous naked Ophis was indeed in his sights.

"Ophis? Wh-"

"It is time for your 'special reward', my darling mate." Ophis said in her emotionless voice.

Issei widened his eyes in surprise. He had almost forgotten about that. Then again, he was heavily distracted from Yoru's surprise attack, and the fight against the true manifestation of his powers. It was hard to remember stuff when people tried to kill you on a daily basis.

"And what is the special reward?" Issei asked.

In all her naked glory, Ophis walked over to her mate and took off her Gothic Lolita headpiece. In a possessive manner, she wrapped it around Issei's head, pulling his face close to hers.

"We shall, take a bath together, my precious Issei." Ophis replied in a sensual yet monotone voice.

And before Issei could reply, Ophis has claimed his lips in a vice grip.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Day At Sun Wukong's Training Room<strong>

The members of DxD stood together in a single file line. Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri and their peerages, and Azazel stood with each other, as Azazel knew them for a long period of time. Sairaorg Bael, Seekvaira Agares, and their peerages, stood stoically, waiting for what Sun Wukong had to say.

The Vali Team stood by themselves, with the leader wondering what the hell was taking his rival so long. Sun Wukong seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Vali. However, the Monkey King didn't show it, as he assumed Issei Hyoudou had a valid reason for being late to their location.

Checking his watch, Saji looked at his fellow peerage in confusion.

"Where the heck is Newby? Don't tell me he forgot about today's meeting."

"Not likely," Azazel said as he crossed his arms, "Issei Hyoudou isn't someone who takes everything lightly."

Before anyone else could reply, an immense wall of flame manifested near the members of DxD. The wall of flame formed into a huge sphere of blazes. The Devils and Fallen Angels widened their eyes in surprise at the intense heat.

The sphere of flames dissipated, revealing a blushing Issei and a satisfied looking Ophis. The members of DxD noticed that Ophis seemed to be happy, due to the fact that Issei was carrying her bridal style.

Sun Wukong rose an eyebrow in amusement at the look on Issei's face. Suddenly having the desire to tease Issei, Wukong smiled.

"I'm sure all of you are tired. So, before we start the training session, how does a sauna, along with some bathing rooms, sound?"

The DxD team gave Wukong a look of slight confusion in response, while Ophis' smile seemed to widen.

"Then my Issei and I, shall take another bath together."

"...Come again?" Azazel intoned.


	16. The Sun vs The Moon: Part 2

**Takamagahara**

Amaterasu narrowed her brown-black eyes as she thought of what to do next. The information the Ouroboros Dragon had just given her worried her to a great degree.

She never predicted that her brother would create an entity out of the energies of the Primordial Moon.

"That damn fool," Amaterasu cursed in annoyance, "It's bad enough that he created someone who could hurt my precious little Sun! But now it turns out that our children are the ones that serve as the key to unlock the Trihexa."

She looked around her surroundings, watching her handmaidens work around the grass fields.

'How is this possible?' She mused in her thoughts, 'How can my son and Tsukuyomi's son be involved with 666? It doesn't make any sense at all.'

Amaterasu genuinely didn't know what to think about Ophis' revelation. Feeling the wind blow through her black hair, Amaterasu frowned and transmitted away to the one place she detested to go to.

Her own brother's home.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's House<strong>

In his human form, Great Red rose his head up as he smelled something coming from Issei's kitchen. Sitting up from his seat on the couch, the Apocalypse Dragon followed the aroma, and his first sight was Leiko Hyoudou cooking something on the stove.

Hearing someone walk in, Leiko turned around as her eyes widened a little in surprise.

"Oh, you're still here? I thought you went with Ise-itoko on that training trip of his."

"I figured the boy needed all the concentration he could get while he was training with the bastard Wukong." Great Red replied in his gruff tone, "So I didn't bother to join them. Plus, I don't want the Vanishing Dragon bothering me."

Shrugging in response, Leiko moved her attention back to her cooking.

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Great Red crossed his arms.

"What are you cooking anyway?"

Leiko smiled with a prideful air about her, and she spun a wooden spoon in the pot.

"I'm cooking my special Pork Fried Soup."

"Oh. And here I thought I got on your nerves." Great Red said mockingly.

"You do get on my nerves," Leiko quipped, "And the soup isn't for you. It's for my Ise-itoko for when he comes back home."

"_Your _Ise-itoko?" Great Red mocked, "Humph. What are you, his housewife?"

The elder Hyoudou noticeably bristled at the Apocalypse Dragon's comment, and she turned to give him a light glare, trying desperately to suppress her faint blush.

"Shut the hell up."

"Relax, I'm only messing around." Great Red insisted, quickly spotting the woman's blush, "So sensitive for a human."

Leiko ignored the Great Red and resumed her cooking.

The silence in the kitchen was growing, with neither of the house mates wanting to say anything else.

Looking around the kitchen, the Apocalypse Dragon tapped his fingers on the table in boredom. Leiko's eyes twitched at the incessant tapping, but she willed herself to endure it.

"So," Great Red began after a long silence, "How about that harem?"

Slamming her wooden spoon down on the counter, Leiko turned around to glare at the True Red Dragon God Emperor.

"Are you really bringing this up?" Leiko asked in disbelief.

"I honestly don't understand why you're so annoyed at the subject."

"Let me remind you. My Ise-itoko is only seventeen years old. Do you honestly believe that he qualifies for having a harem?"

"Here we go with the '_My_' again. And Of course." Great Red said truthfully, "He deserves one."

"How?!" Leiko said, slowly losing her patience.

"Well, first of all, despite being quiet, he's actually a tolerable kid. Second, he's powerful enough to endure through the narrow depths of Death's Domain. Thirdly, and this should have been obvious from the start, he's managed to unintentionally attract powerful beings."

"That doesn't prove anything. Ise-itoko doesn't have the personality for being the center of a harem's attention."

"Why? He's a nice kid. Sure he's quiet, but he is friendly as well."

"That's true." Leiko admitted, "But despite that, Issei still wouldn't have the ability to maintain a harem at all."

"And why is that?" Great Red challenged.

"Before he transformed for the first time, and when he saved me from the Underworld, Ise-itoko was someone who wanted to be left alone. He was a loner. He really didn't want to hang out or socialize with anyone. And that was all because he was harassed as a child."

Her glare softening into a frown, Leiko sighed and placed her hand on her forehead.

"I'm glad that my Ise-itoko is finally coming out of his shell. I really am. But I honestly don't think he can manage a harem, because he wouldn't know what to do if so many girls liked him. He wouldn't know how to react. As far as I know, Issei only has eyes for Ophis, and vice-versa."

"You're very perceptive for a human." Great Red commented in his way of a compliment.

"I know my Ise-itoko. And let me tell you, he would never know what to do with a harem, even without Ophis' interference to disband it."

"So basically, the boy would have an Unwanted Harem?"

"If you want to put it that way, then yes. My Ise-itoko would be the center of the Unwanted Harem's attention."

"You really do care for him." Great Red said in a solemn tone.

"...I've cared for him ever since he was brought into our family. I love my Ise-itoko." Leiko said, her voice brimmed with absolute affection and love for her younger cousin, "I love him very much. So, so much."

Leiko's words regarding Issei were said in such an overwhelming amount of doting fondness that Great Red didn't even have the heart to make fun of her for it.

"...I see."

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara (Tsukuyomi's Dwelling)<strong>

Amaterasu felt the familiar feeling of animosity crawl up her spine. It annoyed her to no end that she was near the home of the Moon God. Her brown-black eyes narrowed in distaste as she walked forward.

Stopping in front of Tsukuyomi's door, Amaterasu went to knock on the door, until it slid across from its hinges just before she could touch it. The Goddess of the Sun rose an eyebrow in curiosity, before she walked in.

"Tsukuyomi?" She called out to her brother, "I wish to speak with you."

There was no response, which only seemed to make Amaterasu slightly uneasy. Closing her eyes, she sighed and enhanced her senses in order to detect her brother's energy signature.

'I can sense him in this house. But his energy is extremely faint. It's almost dwindling.' Amaterasu noted in her thoughts.

Walking around the house, she went to move to another location, until she heard a strange sound.

"H-help me."

The Goddess of the Sun widened her eyes at the weak plea, and she went to find the source of the voice. She walked into another room within the house, and she stopped in her tracks.

"Brother?!"

The God of the Moon appeared to be horribly beaten within an inch of his life. His arms twisted in an unsightly manner, and his legs twisted in a similar fashion. His face was damaged with dried blood, with the red substance pasted all over his entire body.

Tsukuyomi gasped for air, the pain still present within his body. Amaterasu maintained her wide-eyed stare as she looked at her brother.

"What in God's name happened to you?!"

The God of the Moon held in his tongue. It humiliated him to no end that his own sister had to see him like this. His pride was already shot down by the curb-stomp delivered to him by his own son.

It happened when Rizevim had come to retrieve Yoru. Before the elder Lucifer had come to Takamagahara, Tsukuyomi had kept his son's power under check, suppressing him. Unknown to Tsukuyomi, this suppression only increased the severity of his son's rage to increase. As soon as Rizevim went to pick up Yoru, he released Tsukuyomi's suppression, allowing Yoru to exact his fury onto his father.

"Who did this to you?" Amaterasu asked.

"It is nothing of your concern, sister." Tsukuyomi countered, trying to gain even an inch of his dignity back.

Amaterasu narrowed her eyes at her brother's refusal to admit his humility.

"You damn fool," She said with an angry tone, "You damn, damn idiot!"

Tsukuyomi glared at his sister in annoyance, and would have moved away from her if he could.

The Goddess of the Sun felt the familiar surge of dislike towards her brother, and almost would have left him if not for the fact that she had to talk to him.

"What is this 'son' I have been hearing about? I had no idea that you created an entity of the Moon."

"Yes. You caught me red-handed." The God of the Moon said in a mocking tone, "Very impressive, sis-"

_SLAP_

Tsukuyomi winced as he felt the sharp slap that was just delivered to his cheek. The fact that Amaterasu had used a portion of her own powers to enhance the strength of her slap only humiliated Tsukuyomi further.

"This is no time for your insolence, you idiot! Have you no shame for what you have done?! I should end you right here and now for creating the person who harmed my little Sun!" Amaterasu hissed.

Amaterasu was known for being one of the most compassionate deities in the Shinto religion. However, she was by no means a pushover. As she represented, and was the embodiment of the Sun, Amaterasu also had a very short fuse. She had mellowed out for a while, but the constant antagonism from the late Susanoo, her worry for Issei, and the insolence of Tsukuyomi, was bringing out the darker traits of her personality.

"I don't care why you created an entity composed of the Moon," Amaterasu bluntly stated, "What I want to know is what does 666 have to do with my son and your son?"

Tsukuyomi glowered harshly at his sister.

"Tsukuyomi, answer me!"

"...We truly are different, aren't we?"

"What are you implying?"

"You are the star that shines within the Solar System. While I am the embodiment of the natural satellite in the Solar System. We...are separate entities."

"..."

"Your son and my son are destined to fight each other. The Sun and the Moon...in eternal conflict."

"Go on, brother." Amaterasu urged on.

"Do you know why Issei and Yoru are the key to unlocking the seals of the Trixeha 666?"

"I would not be here asking you if I did, now would I?" Amaterasu quipped in annoyance.

"The Sun and the Moon are never seen together, ever since the day we separated. The energies of our respective embodiments, constantly at war."

"..."

"The reason Yoru and Issei are involved with the reawakening of 666 is because...they were born on the same day."

"...What?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

The inner world of Issei was now back to its original peaceful appearance. Despite the colossal flames that manifested from the new manifestation of Issei's new powers, the Inner World seemed to have a much cleaner appearance.

The Welsh Dragon and the Yamata-no-Orochi watched with curiosity as they gazed at the manifestation of Issei's anger. After the fight between Issei and the fused entity, the former succeeded in accepting the manifestation of his fury, feeling complete once more.

The manifestation of Issei's anger was no longer in his berserker form. In fact, his appearance seemed to mirror that of Issei's own. In great contrast to the normal Issei, the manifestation had extremely white skin and hair. His attire was the white version of Issei's coat.

**{So it's been you all this time. You are the manifestation of Issei's Solar transformations.}**

The manifestation moved his attention to the Welsh Dragon, and he clicked his tongue.

"Really. What gave it away?" He said sarcastically.

**{You sure are a smart ass.}**

"Humph. What did you expect? I'm not as nice as Issei is. After all, I was created to contain all of his anger and whining, so don't expect me to be all kind like he is."

**{The Biblical God told me that you were much worse.}**

The manifestation gave Ddraig a wide and sadistic grin.

"Of course I was. After all, I'm rage and fury incarnate. I wasn't exactly sane to begin with."

**{And yet the God from the Bible granted you sanity. Are you grateful towards him for doing that?}**

The manifestation went to retort, until he thought about his reply. As he was the embodiment of Issei's inner wrath, the manifestation only survived through instinct. In order to burn out Issei's anger, the manifestation would destroy whatever was in his sights.

However, all of that changed when the Biblical God came to the recesses of Issei's soul room. Originally, the manifestation went to destroy the God from the Bible, until the latter suddenly joined their consciousness together.

That changed the manifestation severely. The first signs of sanity began to emerge within the consciousness of the manifestation, and it honestly freaked the hell out of him. It was so weird to feel sanity. He had thrived and fed on Issei's anger for survival, that sanity seemed to be the last thing in his mind.

"I am." The manifestation said quietly.

**{That's good.}**

The Yamata-no-Orochi tilted her head curiously as she looked at the manifestation of Issei's anger. It puzzled the eight-forked-serpent that the manifestation looked just like Issei in every way, except for the color scheme.

Tilting her head, the Orochi pointed to the manifestation.

**[What isssss your name?]**

The manifestation rose an uncaring eyebrow in response.

"What?"

**{Hmm. That's right. I suppose we might as well give you a name.}**

"What the hell makes you think I want a damn name?"

**{What makes you think we actually care what you think?}**

"...Touché." The manifestation conceded.

Ddraig adopted a serious expression as he tried to think of a name for the manifestation of Issei's anger. There was really nothing to call the manifestation. Sure it would make sense to call him Issei, since that was who he truly was, however, it felt weird.

Drawing up a blank, Ddraig looked over to the Orochi, who tapped her cheek in a cute manner. Huffing, the Welsh Dragon moved his attention to the bored manifestation, before his eyes widened.

**{I think I have a suitable name for you.}**

"Lay it on me."

**{...Hissei.}**

"Hissei?" The manifestation of Issei's anger questioned.

**{Exactly. After all you are the embodiment of Issei's hollow fury deep within his heart.}**

"So you're just adding the 'H' to Issei's name?"

**{What? Is that a problem?}**

'Hissei...' The manifestation thought in curiosity.

The Orochi tilted her head again, and she moved her attention to the Welsh Dragon.

**[Hisssssssei.]**

**{Humph. Then it's settled. Your name is Hissei.}**

"I never said I liked that name." The newly rechristened Hissei said in annoyance.

**{Well, that's just too bad, isn't it?}**

* * *

><p><strong>Sun Wukong's Training Area<strong>

Ophis tilted her head as she watched Issei train with Vali Lucifer and Genshirou Saji. Her mate seemed to be concentrating on the training severely. She could sense Issei's energy returning at a relatively fast pace.

The Ouroboros Dragon looked over to see the rest of the DxD members training with each other. Ophis didn't know how to describe her current feelings. In her opinion, the fact that the DxD team was created for the sole purpose of protecting her and Great Red, made her feel strange emotions.

Even though she regarded Issei's wish to protect her and Great Red as foolish, Ophis couldn't help but feel even more affection for her mate. However, Ophis wanted to protect Issei as well, and the fact that Issei had to worry about the son of the Moon, and Great Red had to worry about 666, honestly bothered Ophis.

'My darling mate, and Great Red have a similar problem. My Issei is the son of Amaterasu, while Tsukuyomi has created an offspring as well. The conflict between my Issei and Yoru...shall be an climatic event. It is because of the animosity between the Sun and the Moon. That is why...my darling Issei is destined to battle with Yoru. The Sun versus the Moon.'

Ophis' eyes lowered slightly as she looked at her mate worryingly.

'If the fight between my mate and Yoru is truly predetermined...then the battle between Great Red and the Trihexa is inevitable.'

Feeling that the time for training was enough for today, Sun Wukong stood up from his spot, and lifted his hand up.

"All right. I believe that is enough for today."

* * *

><p><strong>Hot Springs<strong>

Issei sighed as he laid in the steaming water. He had to admit, he had enjoyed his training with Vali and Saji. Now that he thought about it, he, Vali, and Saji had one thing in common.

'We all have Dragons that are sealed.'

**{Took you long enough to figure out, didn't it partner?}**

The Welsh Dragon, the Vanishing Dragon, and the Great Dragon King, were sealed within Issei, Vali, and Saji; respectively.

Closing his eyes, Issei relaxed into the water. As he went to move around, he froze when he suddenly felt a pair of very large breasts push from behind him. Opening his eyes in surprise, Issei noticed that there were arms wrapped around him as well.

"Hey, Ophis." Issei greeted with a smile.

"How was your training?" Ophis asked as she held him tighter.

"Vali and Saji are amazingly strong. They're a couple of guys that shouldn't be taken lightly."

Ophis tilted her head at Issei's compliment and rested her head against his. She liked it when she and Issei were in full body contact with each other. It made her body feel warm, knowing that Issei was with her.

Feeling comfortable with Ophis' presence, Issei narrowed his eyes as his thoughts drifted off to another subject.

'The Sun versus the Moon. And Great Red versus the Trihexa. Two battles. And the worst part is, the fight between Yoru and I...is what will set off the release of 666.'

Frowning slightly, Issei rested his head against Ophis' chest, prompting the Ouroboros Dragon to smile in blissful pleasure from the physical contact. The Infinite Dragon God rubbed Issei on his head in affection.

'A destiny that surrounds the Sun and the Moon,' Issei thought in melancholy, 'It's so unreal And it's not a feeling that gives me anything positive.'

Far away from the couple, were some of the women of the DxD team. Rias, Akeno, Sona, Tsubaki, and even Seekvaira were looking at Issei curiously.

* * *

><p><strong>With Rizevim Lucifer<strong>

"K-k-kuh!"

"Oh, do forgive me Yoru-kun." Rizevim Lucifer said with a smirk.

The son of Tsukuyomi glowered dangerously at the elder Lucifer. When Rizevim had recovered Yoru back from the train fight with Issei, he immediately went to restrain the son of the Moon. Due to the memory of Tsukuyomi suppressing his energy, Yoru's rage seemed to heighten to a great degree.

"Although I would have loved to see you attack your cousin by surprise," Rizevim said with a loony grin, "I can't allow you to fight the son of Amaterasu just yet. But do not worry, you will get the chance soon."

Smiling widely at Yoru's attempt to recover his lunar energy, Rizevim turned around and crossed his arms.

"In fact, you will get your chance much sooner than you think. It will be glorious. The son of Amaterasu-omikami versus the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. And then...the resurrection of 666!"

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

"Born on the same day?!" Amaterasu exclaimed in disbelief.

She definitely did not expect this information.

'My Issei, and Tsukuyomi's son were born on the same day?!'

Tsukuyomi winced as he tried to move about. Whatever pride he had left was slowly forming into humiliation. He had already been close to near-death as soon as Rizevim released his suppression on Yoru. Now his humiliation was a result of Amaterasu seeing him in his pained state.

"How did this occur, Tsukuyomi?!" Amaterasu asked heatedly.

The Moon God narrowed his eyes in distaste, but he sighed in defeat.

"I was unaware that you had created Issei Hyoudou before I did. I originally created Yoru as a means to inherit my role as the God of the Moon. But soon after, I realized that there was something far darker about him. Malicious. Threatening. He was...troublesome."

"..."

"I then realized that I created Yoru right after you created Issei. You created him while the Sun was up, while I created...him as soon as the Moon rose up."

"So we created our sons at our respective separation times. Aside from that, what do our sons have to do with 666?"

"Amaterasu. Do you know what a black hole is? And do you know the various ways in which to cause a black hole?"

"I know what it is. What are you trying to imply?"

"As you know, a black hole occurs when a star collapses into itself, becoming so dense that its gravitational pull keeps even light from escaping. Nothing can escape from the boundless trenches from the black hole."

"So what does this have to do with our sons and the Trihexa?"

Tsukuyomi glared at his sister and gritted his teeth.

"Think sister. You created your son from the Sun, and I created my own son from the Moon. The Sun is a massive star, while the Moon has gravitational properties. The Biblical God sealed 666, so its chance of returning would be slim. That is how he perished in the first place."

"Tsukuyomi. Are you saying that...God was able to seal 666 within a black hole?"

"Yes. A psuedo-black hole. That is why Issei and Yoru are the absolute key to reawakening the Trihexa. With the collapse of the Sun, and the gravitational powers of the Moon...666 has a large chance of being revived."

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

"...She's lying."

"Oh? That's a strange observation coming from you, Oblivion. What exactly is Eternity lying about?"

Oblivion gave Death an annoyed stare and crossed her arms. Her silver-white hair flowed behind her, with her glowing eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Her interest in the son of Amaterasu. Didn't you catch her words? She stated that she had all the time to get to know him."

"Hmm." Death hummed, "Perhaps you are right. After all, Eternity is known for being a bit of a trickster. However, she wouldn't lie about the interest of the our progenitor."

"Humph." Oblivion huffed as she looked away, "In spite of that, I still find it odd that our creator is paying attention to this particular Universe."

"Well, you know our creator. All it ever does is observe whatever Universe it creates. It's the only act it does that prevents it from experiencing true boredom. Perhaps it is interested to see how Issei completes his task in this Universe."

"From what you are saying, it seems that whatever Universe the 'Above' creates, it is simply used as a television show."

"Fufu," Death chuckled in amusement, "Of course it is. With so many Universes born, the 'Above' has its own personal entertainment. It is almost like a contest between each Universe. If a particular Universe succeeds in surviving past its own conflict, then the 'Above' is satisfied. However if the Universe fails in dealing with that conflict, the entity will either move on to another Universe to observe, or simply reanimate the Universe that was just destroyed."

"It will do anything to avoid boredom, won't it?" Oblivion asked wryly.

"Of course it will." Death smiled.

"I can only imagine the event in which the son of Amaterasu meets our creator. Perhaps, it will be an interesting event."

"Are you sure about that, my dear sister?" Death asked in curiosity, "Our creator isn't exactly a sociable entity. And it is far more apathetic and emotionless than even the Ouroboros Dragon. Darling might even feel a bit...frightened on how cold the 'Above' is."

"...In either case, we will find out the outcome eventually." Oblivion said as she disappeared into the realm of Non-Existence.

Watching her sibling leave, Death tilted her head and smiled. Placing her hand in front of her mouth, Death giggled like a schoolgirl, her laugh echoing throughout her Domain.

"Fufu. Fufufufu. Hahahahaha!" Her giggling escalated into an almost malicious chuckle.

Her soulless black eyes gleaming in amusement, Death sighed in a dreamy-like expression.

"My precious Darling," Death cooed, "Although I would love to wish you luck, I shall not interfere with the events of your task. After all, I wouldn't want to make it easy for you, Issei."

The embodiment of destruction and despair let out a chilling laugh, prompting the lost souls within her Domain to recoil in the primal instinct known as fear.

"Hmm," Death thought as she looked around her Domain, "I wonder if any of the other primordial entities have noticed Darling."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Soul Room<strong>

The manifestation of Issei's anger, now rechristened as Hissei, crossed his arms as he watched the God From the Bible. The elder entity seemed to be in a state of meditation. Hissei clicked in tongue in impatience.

Getting annoyed from the Welsh Dragon and the Yamata-no-Orochi's naming, the manifestation returned to his original location. The very soul of Issei Hyoudou.

"Hey, old man. Wake up." Hissei greeted the Biblical God, "What the hell are you waiting around for? It's a little boring watching you taking a nap."

"...I am not sleeping. I am merely concentrating."

"On what?"

"Issei's energy output. Now that he has accepted you as a part of himself, the Solar Energy is altering itself."

"...Humph. Well, this 'altering' better be quick. I can sense Issei arriving somewhere else outside. It took them long enough to finish their training. I was getting a little annoyed from watching them."

"..."

"Tch." Hissei muttered as he looked off to the side.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

**{I can sense Issei's energy returning. The training with myself, Death, and the fusion of the Biblical God and Hissei, have all been steps to help him improve.}**

Ddraig looked over to see the Orochi looking up at the sky of the Inner World. The eight-forked-serpent's reptilian eyes expressed an unknown emotion. The Welsh Dragon knew what the Yamata-no-Orochi was feeling. After all, their souls were both sealed within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, balancing each other out.

"Red Dragon Emperor." Said a dual voice.

At the call of his prideful name, Ddraig turned to see the fused entity that represented his host's true powers.

**{So you, the Biblical God, performed fusion with the manifestation once again. What are you planning, I wonder?}**

The new manifestation of Issei's powers held the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in his hand, which combusted with an aura of intense blazes.

* * *

><p><strong>Astaroth House<strong>

A gigantic magic circle emitted from the ground, revealing the DxD team. Issei looked around curiously, noting the appearance of the Astaroth mansion. It appeared to be an extremely extravagant institute.

"What is this place?" Issei asked, unaware that he had said it out loud.

"The home of the Astaroth Clan." Sairaorg answered for him, "They're one of the remaining 34 Devil clans that hold the rank of Duke."

'Astaroth.' Issei thought.

"Do you remember that name, my Issei?" Ophis asked.

The Ouroboros Dragon most definitely remembered the last name. It was the last name of that boy that introduced himself before Issei at the Devil's ceremony. The boy with the gentle smile on his face.

Issei's eyes narrowed just slightly as he finally remembered.

"Diodora."

"That's right," Seekvaira said in distaste, "Diodora Astaroth. Had Shalba Beelzebub not murdered him in cold blood, he would've been the next heir to the throne."

"So because of that, there is no longer an heir to the Astaroth Clan." Azazel summarized, "Diodora betrayed the Devils because of Shalba's manipulation."

"Yes, and what a shame." A familiar voice said in an eerily cheerful voice, "If only he could've lived to see the unsealing of 666!"

Azazel and the rest of the DxD team looked over to see none other than Rizevim Lucifer himself. Standing next to him, was Yoru, who sent Issei a nasty grin. Behind Rizevim, were three different creatures.

One of the entities was a giant Dragon with three heads and six giant wings. Next to him, was a dark green Western Dragon with silver eyes. Unlike the Dragon next to him, this particular Dragon stood on his hind legs like a human. The last entity, was a tall man with a mixture of black and blonde hairs. In addition to wearing a black coat, he had heterochromic eyes, with his right eye being gold, and his left eye being black.

Issei looked at the three entities in great curiosity, feeling an immense power surging from them. He looked over at the young man in the black coat and widened his eyes slightly.

'His power. It's close to Ddraig's level of strength.'

"Surprised, aren't you son of Amaterasu." Rizevim sneered, "I figured that since you spent so much time with the Ouroboros Dragon, The Apocalypse Dragon, and the Red Dragon Emperor, you might make 'friends' with these Dragons standing behind me."

The dark green Western Dragon glowered at Issei in distaste.

"This is Amaterasu's brat?!" He asked incredulously, "Look at how scrawny he is!"

Issei didn't even acknowledge the Dragon's insult. He looked over at Yoru, noticing his cousin's smirk lowering into a menacing glower.

"Aži Dahāka. You were the one who came and attacked us."

Issei turned to look at a shocked and disgruntled Kuroka, who stood next to the glaring Koneko. The name she had shouted out loud, belonged to the Dragon with the three heads and six giant wings.

**{Partner.}**

'Ddraig? Who is this guy?'

**{Aži Dahāka. He's one of the wicked Dragons that controlled over one thousand magic and pointed his fang against the army of the benevolent Gods of the Zoroastrianism. It was said that he was killed by the hero Θraētaona and was left in a state where he was basically sealed. So it appears that Aži Dahāka has been resurrected.}**

'So they planned on resurrecting a Dragon as well? What about the other two standing next to him?'

**{The Western Dragon is Grendel. A long time ago, he fought against me before he ended up getting sealed. He was later slain by the original Beowulf, but it appears that bastard Rizevim has revived him as well.}**

Issei looked over to the last entity. Kuroka narrowed her eyes as she glared at the two Dragons.

"We were travelling around the world, seeking for strong foes like them and the hidden mysteries of the world, however, Aži Dahāka was clearly the strongest foe we ever faced."

Standing close to Koneko, Kuroka moved her attention to Issei.

"That Evil Dragon came at us while laughing, even if we punched, kicked, or cut him. And that's while spurting blood from all over his body, you know? He didn't show any sign of going down at all. That thing was broken. It wasn't normal. I personally think it's the kind of monster you shouldn't fight –nya. He was so tough that it convinces me why the hero whatever his name was, was only able to seal him."

'So he's tougher than Grendel?' Issei asked himself in his thoughts.

**{Partner, If it's possible, I do not wish to fight them.}**

**[I hate Dragonssss.]**

**{...It seems that the Yamata-no-Orochi more or less agrees with me. Most likely, Albion feels the same.}**

At the mention of the Dragon that existed within Vali, Issei turned his sights to the younger Lucifer, who stood quietly. Issei could sense the anger within Vali, his inner fury directed towards his grandfather.

**{You should avoid those who have both the desire to destroy everything and to destroy themselves, and focus on fighting the son of Tsukuyomi.}**

Le Fay walked up to Issei and tugged on his shirt.

"After that, the formerly deceased Dragon, Grendel, fought with Aži Dahāka in order to decide which one of them would fight us. We only found it as a disastrous situation, so we decided to take our leave temporarily."

Issei removed his attention from Le Fay, and looked up at the last entity standing next to Aži Dahāka and Grendel.

'Who's the last guy, Ddraig? I don't want to cause any worry, but his strength feels close to yours.'

**{Crom Cruach. He's the Crescent Circle Dragon, and he's the strongest out of all the Evil Dragons. You can say he's like an evil version of the host of Albion.}**

'A darker version of Vali? So he's an even worse battle maniac.'

'Issei.'

Issei looked at Ophis, indicating that it was her who had contacted him telepathically.

'Great Red and I, are to meet in our home. We shall, work together to combat the Trihexa.'

Issei widened his eyes at Ophis' declaration.

'But Ophi-'

'Do not worry, my precious mate. You said that you wanted to protect Great Red and I. So, we shall protect you as well.'

Issei looked at his wife with a worried expression on his face. It was true, he wanted to help Ophis and Great Red. But he didn't expect that they wanted to help them.

'Ophis. Please be careful.'

Ophis sent her mate a warm smile, and she went to kiss him fully on the lips.

'You, shall be careful as well, my darling Issei.' Ophis warned before she transmitted away.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

Ophis reappeared in her original home, her first sight being the Apocalypse Dragon himself. The True Red Dragon Emperor God held a solemn expression on his face. His massive frame glowed with bright crimson power.

The two 'siblings' looked at each other with determined gazes. Despite them being selfish Dragons, they both had a mutual goal settled between them.

To protect the one called Issei Hyoudou.

"Are you prepared?" Ophis asked the Apocalypse Dragon.

"...666. Besides you, it is one of the few beings that could ever hope to challenge me. I'd never thought I'd hear about its existence again. The Trihexa was a being that could actually be considered a threat to me, and I'll admit, I haven't had much of a good battle in centuries."

Ophis tilted her head at Great Red's answer. The True Red Dragon Emperor God then narrowed his eyes in curiosity.

"What are you doing here, Ophis? I thought you were with the boy."

"I, came to assist you."

"What?" The Great Red said in surprise.

"You heard me. In order to protect my Issei, and perhaps save his world, I have come to help you in your battle against 666."

The Apocalypse Dragon blinked several times, before he scoffed.

"Humph. Who says I need your help? I can take care of the damn Trihexa."

"I, do not believe you," Ophis replied, earning a slight glare from the Great Red, "Regardless of your disapproval, I will help you."

"Why on earth would you help me, Ouroboros? Don't I get on your nerves?"

"...Yes. However, it is just as my mate said. You, Issei, and I are a Trinity. I, would prefer it if my brother were to retain his existence."

For once, Great Red didn't know what to say. He and Ophis truly had changed. From the start, they always had a bitter relationship. Ophis wanting to kick him out, while he wanted Ophis to show some expression from time to time. They really had come a long way.

"...Ophis. Just don't get in my way." He said gruffly, albeit with a smile.

Ophis returned her usual sly smile, and she nodded.

"Same to you, Baka-Red."

* * *

><p><strong>Astaroth House<strong>

"It seems that Yoru-kun is ready to start this climatic battle with you, son of Amaterasu." Rizevim teased as he looked at Yoru.

The son of Tsukuyomi glared hatefully at his cousin, who stared back with a neutral expression. The DxD team looked at the energy auras of the two cousins, taking note to recognize the differences in what they represented.

Issei kept still as he could feel his cousin's energy level rise ever so slightly. In his mind, there was no doubt. He had a responsibility to take, and he wasn't going to back down now.

"Issei Hyoudou."

At the call of his name, Issei set his eyes over to Vali, who walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. As he looked into the light blue eyes of his rival, Issei could tell that Vali was showing encouragement.

"Stay ali-" Vali stopped himself, as he looked at the halo on Issei's head.

Giving Issei a confident smirk, Vali patted his rival's shoulders.

"Keep existing. You and Great Red still owe me that fight."

Issei looked at his rival with an unreadable expression on his face, and then he smiled at him.

"Thanks. But I'm already dead." He said, pointing to his halo.

Watching his rival return to his usual standing position, Issei sent his attention back to his cousin, whose hair started to rise.

Yoru's hair began to assume a silver-shade, and he transformed, allowing his power to surge throughout the area of the Astaroth Clan.

'So he can transform as well, huh?' Issei thought.

**{Humph. Your transformations are referred to as the term 'Super Solar' forms. So perhaps the son of Tsukuyomi's transformations are referred to as his 'Super Lunar' forms.}**

Smiling a little at Ddraig's quip, Issei got into a defensive position as he transformed into his familiar Super Solar form.

Narrowing his eyes at the amount of solar energy Issei was emitting, Yoru charged towards his cousin. Following his cousin's action, Issei soared towards him, and as soon as they came in contact with each other, they both transmitted away to an unknown location.

Smiling widely at what was about to commence, Rizevim looked towards the scowling face of his grandson, and the rest of the DxD team.

"So..." Rizevim said as he looked at the Dragons behind him, "Shall we begin?"

* * *

><p><strong>Tokyo<strong>

The sons of the Sun and the Moon reappeared within the city of Japan, their presence surprisingly unknown from the people of Japan. Breaking away from his cousin, Yoru charged forward and bent his elbow to strike Issei, who retaliated by blocking Yoru's attack.

Their contact caused a gust of power to create a huge shock-wave, leaving a crater-sized hole on the ground. Annoyed by Issei's blocking, Yoru went to deliver a kick to the side of Issei's head. Issei blocked the attack and moved forward, pushing Yoru off of him.

Issei attempted to land a punch on his cousin, which resulted in Yoru evading it. The two exchanged punches and kicks, causing even more shock waves to emit throughout Tokyo. Gritting his teeth, Yoru grabbed his cousin and head butted him.

"GAH!"

Issei grunted in pain from the impact, and soared away from his cousin, almost close to crashing into another building. Yoru chased after his cousin after seeing him recover so quickly. The two charged at each other, using the city's tall buildings to their advantage.

Yoru used a high-speed type of movement, sending kicks in Issei's direction. Issei blocked each one of them, and grabbed Yoru's foot. Using his cousin's weight, Issei spun Yoru around and threw him far away.

Yoru growled and recovered almost instantaneously, making sure to maintain his balance. Issei stopped in his pace and stood in front of his cousin. Surprisingly, Yoru stood still as well, glaring at his cousin with utmost hatred.

Flaring out his aura, Issei charged at his cousin, with Yoru doing the same. The two once again exchanged devastating blows, causing a series of shock waves to appear in the sky.

The people of Tokyo looked on in amazement as they watched the circular representations of shock waves. They conversed amongst each other, with some of the citizens taking pictures and recording the fight.

The blows exchanged between Issei and Yoru intensified, causing the clouds to lose their shape. The ground below the citizens of Tokyo shook in tremors, leading the people to believe that there was an earthquake.

Seeing an opening, Yoru grabbed onto his cousin's face and descended down to the ground at a quick pace. Landing on the ground with a powerful thud, Yoru gripped Issei's head and bashed his face against the ground repeatedly.

Getting the pieces of the ground out of his face, Issei flared out his energy aura, which only seemed to anger Yoru even more. Issei maneuvered his position and landed a kick to Yoru's face. He then followed up by grabbing Yoru by the foot and soared away.

Growling savagely, Yoru punched his cousin in the back, causing him to let go. Recovering almost immediately, Issei punched Yoru in the face, and grabbed him, before he transmitted the both of them to yet another location.

* * *

><p><strong>Space<strong>

Space, or as some called it, Outer Space was the void that existed between the celestial bodies and Earth. The many planets that existed within Space, rotated around the two primordial energies. The Sun and the Moon.

Speaking of the Sun and the Moon, Issei and Yoru reappeared, with their heads bashing into each other. Their energies clashed against the other, causing their shift of energies to affect the area in Space.

Separating himself from Issei, Yoru looked up to see a nearby asteroid coming towards. Grinning with a sadistic air about him, Yoru flew up to the asteroid and chopped it in half. Using gravity manipulation, Yoru sent the asteroid towards Issei, who used his solar energy to pass through the space rock.

Clicking his tongue at his cousin's endurance, Yoru looked behind him and his eyes widened.

"Heh. Heh heh heh heh heh heh." The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto chuckled with sadistic glee.

He flew over to the object of his desire, leaving Issei to float where he was. Issei went after, before he suddenly felt a warm surge of energy nearby. Turning around, Issei widened his eyes at what he saw.

It was the massive star that existed at the center of the Solar System. Issei looked on in surprise as he looked at his progenitor. He could sense the massive and overwhelming pure Solar Energy emitting from the Sun itself. He felt...complete as he stood near it.

"G-G-GUH!"

At the sound of the choked voice, Issei looked over to see Yoru standing in front of the Moon itself. The natural satellite and the fifth largest Moon in the Solar System. The primordial Moon. The source of energy that always made Issei melancholy whenever the Sun descended at night, while the Moon rose.

Glaring at his cousin, Yoru's eyes suddenly constricted as he let out a great bellow. His body released an eerie silver aura, as the Moon began to condense into a smaller size. Issei looked on in shock as he watched his cousin absorb the entire Moon.

Yoru's eyes suddenly shone, the silver aura imploding within his body, causing a flash of light to emit throughout the entire Solar System. Issei covered his eyes from the bright light, and as the light faded, he uncovered his sight.

'What's this?'

Standing far away from Issei, was a very different looking Yoru. The silver spiky hair remained the same, with the spikes becoming more pronounced. Yoru's black eyes were now white, with the pupils and irises vanishing as a result of the new form. His body size had increased to a large degree, with his muscle mass more toned. He had also risen to a soaring height.

Issei stared wide-eyed at his transformed cousin. The energy he was sensing was absolutely colossal. It was far more unstable than that of Loki and Susanoo's. Floating towards the Sun, Issei looked behind himself.

The Sun appeared to glow brighter, as though it was trying to contact Issei. Taking a deep breath, Issei closed his eyes, and the aura of his Super Solar form began to change. The massive star that existed within the Solar System, began to condense into a smaller size. As he absorbed the great energy of the Sun, Issei felt his body become accustomed to the warm energy.

Suddenly, another light flashed throughout the Solar System, the intensity of it even brighter than that of the Moon.

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi both gasped as they felt a strange feeling in themselves. Tsukuyomi felt as though his very being was being sucked away. Amaterasu on the other hand, felt almost a warm and pleasurable feeling.

'So...warm.' She muttered in her thoughts.

The Moon God stuttered as he tried to catch his breath. Narrowing his eyes, he let out an annoyed sigh as he winced.

"It would seem that our sons are finally fighting each other. Yoru has just absorbed the energy of what I embody. Judging by the look on your face, I assume that your son has just absorbed the colossal essence of what you represent."

Amaterasu didn't respond. She couldn't if she even tried. She could feel her soul being granted warmth from the actual Sun itself.

'Is it my little Sun?' She asked herself, 'Is my baby...accepting me?'

The Goddess of the Sun didn't know what to think. Her face flushed as she felt her son's energy merging with the Primordial Sun.

As Tsukuyomi continued to wince in pain, he looked up to see his sister sporting a faint but noticeable blush on her face. The Moon God rose an astonished eyebrow as he watched Amaterasu place a hand on her cheek; her eyes half-lidded.

"What a darling little child I have." The Sun Goddess said gently, her voice almost breathless.

"...That bastard!" Tsukuyomi cursed his nephew.

* * *

><p><strong>Space (Back with Issei and Yoru)<strong>

Yoru glared with all his hate as he watched the cloud of light fade away. In front of him, was a newly transformed Issei.

The son of Amaterasu's skin tone was a bit darker. His hair lifted up slightly and had a reddish-purple coloring. His eyes were sharper, with his irises gaining a red shade. Compared to his base form, Issei's body structure appeared to be a bit thinner, and he looked slightly taller. Surrounding him, was an explosive and flame-like aura.

The son of the Sun, and the son of the Moon, floated across from each other, their intense auras radiating throughout the Solar System.

Smirking darkly, Yoru pointed to his cousin, who stared back silently.

"I will kill you." He declared quietly, "The entire Solar System...will be your GRAVE!"

Issei narrowed his eyes at his cousin, and he flared his aura outwardly in unison to Yoru.

"Not a chance. It's time for Round Two, Yoru!"

* * *

><p><strong>In Another Part of Space<strong>

In another section of the vast Solar System, there was complete nothingness. The planets and asteroids floated around silence. Suddenly, a gigantic magic circle that represented a seal seemed to glow within space. The seal seemed to break apart, revealing a gigantic mass point of space.

The asteroids began to move towards the black hole, and suddenly, they disintegrated when a massive figure floated out of the space.

It was a dark orange-crimson creature that was titanic in size with long, spike-like protrusions on its back and six more large spiky protrusions growing out of its back. Its mouth contained multiple rows of sharp, pointed teeth, as well as a spiky chin. The creature also had long arms and clawed hands, and had dark veins.

666, the Apocalyptic Beast, also known as the Emperor Beast of Apocalypse let out a deep growl as it moved about the deep trenches of Space. Many years ago, it had been sealed within the black hole by the God from the Bible.

The Trihexa was known to possess massive and overwhelmingly foul power that was potent enough to match the Apocalypse Dragon. The vastness of the Beast's power, was noted by the God of the Bible, as immeasurable.

666 let out a deep bellow, its anger from being sealed driving it to the point of insanity. Looking around like a savage animal, Trihexa went to move until it suddenly spotted two creatures from far away.

The creatures had different colored auras that seemed to cancel each other out. One of them had an explosive and flame-like aura, while the other had an eerie silver-colored aura. Narrowing its eyes, the Trihexa moved its attention to the creature with the fiery aura.

As its sanity was breached so heavily due to the God from the Bible sealing it away, 666 didn't know what it was feeling at this point. The creature with the fiery aura seemed to exude an almost...tranquil air about it.

The Trihexa's eyes twitched in great fury, annoyed at why this creature's aura was affecting it. Wanting to get away from the influencing aura, 666 let out another roar and transmitted away.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

Great Red and Ophis floated quietly as their final enemy manifested in their home. Ophis narrowed her eyes, while Great Red smirked with confidence. After all, he hadn't had a good fight in centuries. If he was going to fight with the being that rivaled him in power, he might as well enjoy himself.

"Great Red," Ophis began as she looked at her 'brother', "Are you ready?"

Looking at Great Red with a terrifying look on its face, the Trihexa let out a ghastly roar that shook throughout the Dimensional Gap.

Chuckling lightly, Great Red moved his attention to Ophis.

666 glowered at the Apocalypse Dragon and the Ouroboros Dragon. Its level of insanity at its breaking point, the Trihexa opened its mouth and charged up a deep black energy sphere that had another gray sphere inside it. It was black in the center and had red sparks of electricity flowing around it.

Ophis tilted her head at the Beast. A being with power that rivaled that of herself and Great Red. It was...so overwhelming.

"666," Ophis called out its name, "What is your purpose? What is your motivation?"

The Trihexa released another growl, before a rumbling sound from its mouth made itself known.

"To eradicate...everything."

Great Red rose his head, confusion starting to seep into his thoughts.

The Trihexa released yet another roar as the intensity of its attack enlarged to a great degree. Narrowing his eyes with a grin, Great Red released his power, his body illuminating a dark crimson aura. Performing the same action as Great Red, Ophis' body glowed with a deep black color, her power causing the Trihexa to growl deeply.

"Ha," Great Red chuckled in excitement, "Oh, this is gonna be great."

The black energy sphere emitting from the Trihexa's mouth seemed to grow into a much bigger size. Getting excited at the fact that the fight was finally starting, Great Red soared towards 666, and began to charge a dark-crimson sphere of energy. The size of the energy ball increased to a similar degree as the Trihexa's.

The Apocalypse Dragon and the Apocalyptic Beast shot their respective attacks towards each other, the result being a collision of their energy blasts. However, as soon as they started to overpower the others blasts, the attacks of Great Red and 666 disintegrated.

Growling at its failure, 666 roared and summoned a seemingly infinite number of colossal energy spheres, and launched them at the Great Red. Great Red cackled and defended himself from the attacks by covering himself with his wings.

"Come on! You can do better than that, 666!" He taunted cheerfully.

Ophis narrowed her eyes and shook her head at her brother's antics.

'Baka-Red should not be so arrogant in this battle.' She chided the Apocalypse Dragon in her thoughts.

Great Red's taunt only angered the Apocalyptic Beast, and it responded by roaring back. It summoned even more energy spheres, each bigger than the last.

Standing still as a statue, Ophis closed her hand into a fist and lifted up a finger. A black pool of energy gathered above her finger, and formed into a giant, dark energy sphere. Narrowing her eyes at her target, Ophis launched her attack towards 666.

With its attention set on the Great Red, the Trihexa did not anticipate Ophis' interference within the battle. As soon as Ophis' attack came in contact with 666, the Beast cried out in pain, hissing with a low growl.

"Take this opportunity." Ophis warned the Great Red.

"Absolutely!" Great Red happily exclaimed as he charged at the Apocalyptic Beast.

Charging a large crimson-sphere of energy, the Apocalypse Dragon sent it towards his enemy, who howled in fury. Looking at 666 for a moment, Ophis looked down and reached into her pocket.

Making sure to keep an eye on the Trihexa, Great Red turned to look at Ophis with a curious look on his face.

"Ouroboros. What are you floating around f-"

He cut himself off when he saw the jewel of the Vanishing Dragon shining in Ophis' hand.

'The jewel of Albion?!'

Ophis closed her eyes as her body began to glow. Parts of her energy aura split off from her, and formed into a familiar entity.

"Lilith!" Great Red shouted out in shock.

Lilith blinked several times and yawned cutely, before looking at the jewel of Albion. Looking up at Ophis, Lilith tilted her head in a childish manner.

"Original...will allow me to help?"

"Yes." Ophis answered as she gave the blue jewel to Lilith.

Lilith's body glowed with a sapphire aura as she absorbed Albion's jewel, and she soared towards the Apocalyptic Beast, and latched onto its back. 666 roared in fury at the touch of Lilith, and it tried to shake Lilith off of its body.

Narrowing her dark-brown eyes, Lilith set her mouth into a pout.

"You, big meanie." She insulted the Trihexa, before she sunk her sharp fangs into its flesh.

RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

"...Well, I'll be damned." Great Red said in a state of pride.

* * *

><p><strong>Space (Issei vs Yoru)<strong>

"RAHHHHH!"

"KYAAHHH!"

Issei and Yoru charged towards each other and flared out their auras. They gripped each others shoulders. They locked in a physical struggle, their auras canceling each other out. Gritting his teeth, Issei narrowed his eyes and kneed Yoru in the chin.

Yoru's eyes twitched as he felt the impact of his cousin's attack, and he pressured his face down to loosen his cousin's grip. Lifting Issei up, Yoru maneuvered his weight, and kicked his cousin towards a large asteroid, trapping him within the cracked surfaces.

"GUH!"

Issei grunted out in pain and freed himself from the asteroid. Flying quickly in front of him, Yoru charged an energy blast and sent it towards Issei, who blocked the incoming attack. Smiling in sadistic glee, Yoru charged two more energy spheres in both of his hands, and sent them towards Issei in the form of a volley barrage.

Issei summoned up a shield and soared through his cousin's attacks, and sent a sharp punch to his face, causing him to descend into a large asteroid.

'So many asteroids in Space.' Issei thought.

His attention back on the fight, Issei charged towards his cousin, who summoned up a silver energy sphere. This caused the asteroid below him to completely disintegrate. Issei went to land a punch on his cousin, before he widened his eyes when he found that his punch didn't even faze through Yoru's shield.

Yoru grinned widely and used his arm to attack Issei by his neck. He followed by grabbing Issei by the head, and descended towards a vast planet. The two cousins crashed onto the giant space object. Yoru lifted his cousin and slammed him into the surface.

Embedded into the ground, Issei groaned out in an effort to break out of his entrapment. Summoning his energy shield, Yoru jumped up into the air of space, and with a burst of speed, he stomped on Issei.

"GYAHHHHH!" Issei screamed out in pain.

"HEH HEH HAH HAH HAH HAH!" Yoru laughed maniacally at the sound of his cousin screaming out in agony.

Yoru jumped into the air and this time changed his position in an attempt to punch his cousin into the ground. His pupils constricting in rage, Issei flared out his godly aura, allowing him to break out of the planet's hard surface. In a quick motion, he caught Yoru's fist, and flared out even more of his energy, prompting Yoru to narrow his eyes in disgust.

"You scum!"

"I've heard worse!" Issei countered back.

He grabbed Yoru's arm and swung him around in order to get some distance between them. Yoru caught his balance and gritted his teeth in suppressed rage. A vast sized silver sphere of energy suddenly surrounded his body, and it began to condense itself into his palm.

Issei stayed on his guard as the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi manifested in his hand. A pool of crimson-black energy (from the influence of Ddraig and Orochi), along with the aura of Issei's Super Solar God form, surrounded the sword.

Yoru gathered the massive energy into his hand and launched it in the form of a small silver energy sphere. Seconds later, the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto sent another energy blast into it, causing the sphere of energy to morph into a gigantic energy bomb of immense power.

Issei narrowed his eyes as he sensed the energy of the attack.

'It's powerful enough to destroy Earth! I won't let that happen!'

"HYAHHHH!" Issei summoned a large sum of his godly solar energy, which formed around the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Yoru's energy bomb descended towards Issei, and before it could directly come in contact with him, Issei swung his sword in front of him. The crimson-black energy generating from the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, increased to a massive size. The energy caused by Issei's swing erupted upwards, and collided with Yoru's spherical bomb.

The strongest attacks of the son of the Sun and the son of the Moon gave off a colossal amount of solar and lunar energy. The collision of the energies of the Sun and the Moon was so intense, that the Solar System seemed to shake, as though it was reacting to the great beam struggle.

Widening his eyes in great surprise, Yoru grunted and delivered another energy blast into his attack, causing it to grow into an even bigger size. Issei retaliated by sending a pool of energy through his own attack, once again causing continuing the beam struggle.

The two cousins augmented their respective attacks, until a light so bright illuminated throughout the entire Solar System.

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

Existing within the vast space, a spiral of stars, dark matter, and stellar clusters, combined together in the form of a galaxy. The present galaxy was far more colossal compared to the Universe.

A young man floated in space, completely unconscious. His clothes were cluttered about, causing them to billow out in the boundless area. As he floated around, his eyes started to flutter, until they opened completely.

The young man, in great contrast to his typical appearance, flared out his aura, trying to brighten the area around him. As the light brightened, the young man looked around his surroundings to see a series of stars, spirals, and the vast traces of spatial objects.

"What is this place?"

His aura, far more explosive and flame-like compared to his original transformations, illuminated an extremely bright light throughout the space he was currently in.

Issei, maintaining the power of his recently acquired Super Solar God form, curiously looked around the location he was in.

"What on earth happened? The last place I remember being in was..." Issei began as he clutched his head.

Before arriving in his current location, the young man unlocked the full power of the primordial Sun. After doing so, Issei absorbed the complete essence of the Sun, and continued his battle with Yoru, who had absorbed the full power of the primordial Moon.

Although they were cousins, the son of the Sun and the son of the Moon were destined to be eternal enemies. The Sun and the Moon have been separate for many years, due to the animosity shared between Amaterasu-omikami and Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.

As they battled each other, the massive energy released by the powerful culmination of the Sun and Moon, destroyed the seals that encased 666. With its seals finally broken, the Apocalyptic Beast released itself, and went to wreak havoc within the Dimensional Gap.

Placing his faith in Ophis and Great Red to combat 666, Issei went on to continue his fight with Yoru. Both in their most powerful forms, the cousins appeared to be in a stalemate. Manipulating the energies of their respective progenitors, Issei and Yoru fought a climatic battle, their physical and energy attacks seemingly canceling each other.

Ready to finally settle the rivalry between the Sun and the Moon, Issei and Yoru sent out their final and most powerful attacks against each other. The explosive power and intensity emitting from their energy attacks caused even the Solar System to shake about. As soon as the extremely bright light faded away, Issei found himself in his current location.

The only problem was, he didn't even know where the hell he was. Wanting to get back to his fight with Yoru, the young man closed his eyes and attempted to sense his cousin's energy.

"?!"

Issei widened his eyes when he found that he couldn't detect Yoru's energy signature at all. Narrowing his eyes, Issei concentrated harder, until he sensed a great amount of energy signatures. He could sense the familiar signatures as well, so some of his relief showed.

'I can sense everyone else on Earth, including Leiko-san. I can also sense Ophis, Red, and Lilith in the Dimensional Gap. That massive energy near them, must be 666. If they're fighting, then that means the world's going to pay the price. I've got to think of a way to help them. I'm not strong enough to defeat the Trihexa. It's on a much higher league.

_'Issei...'_

At the call of his name, Issei looked around the area in surprise.

'Was that-'

_'Yes it is me. The God from the Bible, the very being that combined with your inner rage to form the new manifestation of your powers, has a solution. The chance of sealing 666 into a black hole is very slim. If another black hole were to occur, then this entire Universe will be threatened even more.'_

'So what should I do?'

_'666 was much too powerful for the God from the Bible to handle, which is why it cost him his life when he placed the seals on the Trihexa.'_

'Seals?'

_'That's right. However, as I stated earlier, a black hole will not suffice this time.'_

'Well, we can't allow 666 to terrorize the Earth! And if Ophis, Great Red, and Lilith continue their fight with Trihexa, the whole world will be in danger!'

_'There is a way for the world to survive, and a way for 666...to be taken care of. However, I am unaware of the result and what might happen if you perform this technique.'_

'...If it's going to save everyone, then I'm willing to use it.'

_'Very well.'_

Issei nodded his head in agreement, before he transmitted away from his location. Moments later, a pair of glowing eyes made themselves known. It looked down where Issei floated moments ago, and it tilted its head.

_"My creations have informed me about this creature. The godlike power he wields in his current transformation has put him in a state that surpasses some of the beings in his own Universe. Perhaps...he surpasses that of the Evil Dragons. He is very interesting. I shall see how he fares in his Universe. It would be best, if he did not disappoint me. I do not like being disappointed. Nor...do I like being bored."_

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

Great Red narrowed his eyes as he charged another vast crimson sphere of energy. The Trihexa retaliated by gathering a large pool of black energy. 666 rapidly augmented its attack by putting more energy into it, causing the size of its attack to increase into a monumental size.

The space around the Dimensional Gap shook in tremors, due to the overwhelming power and intensity of the Apocalypse Dragon and Apocalyptic Beast. Ophis narrowed her eyes as she looked around her home.

'Lilith's attempt did not work.'

She had entrusted Lilith with the jewel of Albion in order to lower the power of 666. However, it seemed that the Trihexa surpassed even the power of Albion's own, as its energy regenerated almost immediately. Wanting to keep Lilith safe, Ophis reabsorbed her back into her own body, her power returning to its normal state.

The Ouroboros Dragon looked around to see the Dimensional Gap crumbling. She nearly hissed in irritation as she watched her home break apart. But before she could interfere, she suddenly spotted a familiar person floating behind 666.

'My Issei!'

Issei narrowed his eyes as he hid behind the Trihexa. Lifting his hand up, he gathered a great amount of energy, which formed into a large multi-colored rainbow energy sphere that condensed into his hand. Making sure to target 666 at the right moment, Issei launched the rainbow energy sphere forward, which successfully disappeared within the Trihexa.

666 suddenly felt a great amount of pain, and its concentration on its energy sphere broke apart. Due to this, the energy blast imploded on itself, allowing Great Red's attack to attack 666 directly.

_GRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH_

The Trihexa roared out in intense pain, and its entire body began to glow brightly. Widening his golden eyes, Great Red shot out an energy blast from his mouth, causing a dimensional rip.

"Ophis! Issei! Hurry up, will ya!" He shouted out to them.

Taking advantage of Great Red's warning, the couple grabbed onto Great Red's scales, and escaped from the Dimensional Gap just in time before 666's body imploded on itself.

* * *

><p><strong>Astaroth's Mansion<strong>

The location of the Astaroth Clan was in absolute ruins. The members of DxD were currently in a battle against the Evil Dragons. Due to the training placed upon them by Sun Wukong, DxD were holding their own impressively.

Rias narrowed her eyes as she summoned a variation of her technique, known as the Power of Destruction. Her opponent, Grendel, smirked widely as he shot out a beam composed of vast flames. The violent Dragon looked around as he spotted the remaining members of DxD fighting his other comrades.

Azi Dahaka was curently fighting against Sun Wukong and his descendant, also known as Bikou. He opened his mouth and summoned a pool of dark energy, sending it towards the Monkey Kings.

Crom Cruach narrowed his eyes as he faced the host of Vritra. It didn't matter what opponent he had to face, as long as he was satisfied with the battle.

The only ones not fighting were none other than Vali Lucifer and Rizevim Lucifer. The grandfather smirked widely at his grandson, who shook in suppressed rage.

**(Vali. Focus.)**

The host of the Vanishing Dragon willed to keep himself calm. With his grandfather's ability to cancel out the effect of Sacred Gears, Vali was in a tough situation.

"What's wrong, my adorable grandson?" Rizevim teased, "Thinking up a new strategy to win against me? You're wasting your time!"

Before Vali could counter with his retort, the sky above the battle zone suddenly broke out into a series of cracks, revealing Issei, Ophis, and the Great Red themselves. The members of DxD, and the Evil Dragons looked on in amazement as they witnessed the two most powerful entities, and Issei descend onto the ground.

"Issei Hyoudou!" Vali exclaimed in surprise.

"No! It can't be!" Rizevim said in shock, "Yoru was supposed to finish you off! You were supposed to be dead!"

Issei gave Vali's grandfather an annoyed look as he pointed to the halo on top of his head.

"I'm already dead." He deadpanned.

"Guh?!" Rizevim's eyes twitched.

The grandfather of Vali then looked towards the Great Red and Ophis, with the former glaring hatefully at the Super Devil.

"Sending the Trihexa to come fight me, huh?" The Apocalypse Dragon asked menacingly, "I've never heard such an idiotic idea in my entire existence!"

"Gah?! You mean 666...has perished?!"

"Why else, would we be here?" Ophis quipped.

"?!"

"BURN!" Great Red shouted out, high-fiving Ophis' hand.

Chuckling at Ophis' burn directed towards Rizevim, Issei looked over to Vali and nodded to him.

"Vali. We're here to help."

Suddenly, another dimensional crack formed from the sky, and a beam of dark black-crimson energy descended in a spiral-like aura. The energy was so intense it caused the ground to shake as soon as it crashed down.

Issei, Ophis, Great Red, Vali, and Rizevim looked at the beam of energy fading, and their eyes widened in surprise at the figure who emerged from the light.

It was a pale-skinned young woman who appeared to be around Ophis' height (adult form) with long, dark crimson-red hair with dark orange highlights. Her hair was styled in a pair of waist-length braids that tied together behind her back. Her eyes, which appeared to be frighteningly wide open, gave off an eerie and deranged aura about her. She had an extremely voluptuous physique, possessing large breasts and similarly large hips.

The Ouroboros Dragon, the Apocalypse Dragon, and Issei shared a glance as the latter cautiously walked over to the girl. The young woman slowly looked up at Issei, which set Issei on the defense. The girl's eyes seemed to have no traces of sanity. However, she strangely seemed to have a sense of awareness about her.

Looking the girl over, Issei stopped and widened his eyes when he saw something absolutely frightening.

'What?! No way!'

On the upper part of the young woman's left breast, were a series of dark marks. There were only three scars that featured the same shape on the girl's large breast, but Issei could translate the symbols very easily.

'T-this energy! It can't be!'

The young woman tilted her head creepily, her wide opened red eyes seemingly getting smaller. She lifted herself up, and very slowly, lifted her pale hand, pointing it directly towards Issei.

"Help." She said in a soft voice.

"?!" Issei gasped at the sound of the young woman's voice.

"I, will...help." The girl finished.

"666?!"


	17. The Devastating Trihexa!

Ever since the Devils, the Fallen Angels, and Angels came in contact with Issei Hyoudou, they knew from the start that he was a peculiar being. He wasn't the most powerful being, but he wasn't the weakest either. They all knew how his personality was before he came in contact with the supernatural, and how it changed drastically immediately after.

The boy was originally a reclusive shut-in, preferring to live in voluntary seclusion. When the Devils at Kuoh Academy first spotted Issei Hyoudou, their interest in him was immediately piqued. Some of the female Devils in Kuoh Academy had...less than innocent thoughts regarding Issei. Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri wanted to claim him in each of their respective peerages, in hopes that his power could be used in their advantage.

That isn't to say that they were solely interested in Issei just because of his power. The boy seemed to attract a lot of beings, in spite of his personality. He managed to unknowingly enthrall and charm the attention of Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon, also known as the Infinite Dragon God. In doing so, he managed to form and maintain a close brotherly bond with Great Red; the Apocalypse Dragon.

The species of the Three Factions had no idea how Issei was able to attract these immensely powerful beings. After all, the young man's strength greatly paled in comparison to the two most powerful Dragons in existence. The very sight of the Apocalypse Dragon and the Ouroboros Dragon 'hanging out' with a being that was lower than themselves, brought only shock and confusion to the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels.

However, at this particular moment, the people who were currently fighting near the location of the Astaroth Clan, stared on in horror at the girl standing in front of Issei. She stared unblinkingly at Issei with an eerie look on her face.

The frightening young woman standing in front of the DxD team, the Evil Dragons, and everyone else, was perhaps one of the most terrifying beings in existence. A legendary being whose power was so great, that the Biblical God himself had no choice but to seal it within the black hole of space.

A being that imbued the horrors and terrors of anyone it came in contact with. Not only was this being strong enough to overpower the God from the Bible, but it also possessed raw power that rivaled that of the True Red Dragon God Emperor.

And now here it was, standing in front of Issei, pointing directly at him. If the sight of the Trihexa taking on the form of a young woman wasn't enough, then the fact that it told Issei it wanted to help him was perhaps even more mind-blowing.

It appeared that Issei had a habit of attracting powerful beings, even if the attraction was unintentional to begin with. In spite of how effective this attraction was, only one person who has known Issei since he first arrived at Kuoh Academy, had a lot of things to say in his doubts.

"Newby, what the hell?!"

Issei widened his eyes and turned around to see a disgruntled Saji pointing at him.

"Saji-san?"

"I'm sorry, Newby. But I feel like that this has gone too far without me asking you this. How the hell do you keep attracting these beings that are way beyond our league?!"

"I-" Issei wasn't even able to finish his response before Saji interrupted him.

"I mean, first you have Ophis! Then that Yamata-no-Orochi thing Azazel told us about! You're the freaking 'brother-in-law' to the freaking Great Red!"

"Damn straight." The Apocalypse Dragon agreed.

"And now," Saji started again, "You managed to attract the attention of 666?! The freaking Trihexa?! The very being we've all been trying to stop Vali's dick of a grandfather from releasing?! No offense, Vali."

"None taken. Continue." Vali said as he crossed his arms.

"HEY!" Rizevim shouted to his grandson in indignation.

"...Anyway. Newby...what the hell did you do this time to bring 666 on our side?!"

"I-" Issei was cut off once again, by none other than 666.

"Not...your side." The Trihexa said quietly to Saji, her finger still pointed directly at Issei.

"...What?" Saji asked.

"Whose side are you on?" asked Azazel, who had finally decided to speak up.

The Trihexa tilted her head again, but she stood still. Looking at who 666 was pointing at, Azazel reluctantly nodded in understanding.

"It looks like the Trihexa...is on Issei Hyoudou's side."

"WHAT?!" Rizevim shouted out in horror, "Son of Amaterasu, what the hell did you do?!"

Issei didn't have a response to Rizevim's question. He honestly didn't know what he had done. He had listened to the instructions of the true manifestation of his powers, and used the technique on 666. He figured that even if the God from the Bible didn't know about the consequences of this technique, it was still worth it to use against 666.

In all of his adventures, Issei would have never expected the malevolent 666 to appear in the form of a young woman, and declare that 'she' was on his side. Before escaping the Dimensional Gap, Issei assumed that the Trihexa had perished when it was engulfed in Great Red's attack. Obviously that wasn't the case, since 666 was standing right in front of him.

Ophis, who was quiet through all of this commotion, set her suspicious gaze on the Trihexa.

'The Trihexa's power retains its malevolence. However, it seems...tamed to an extent. What did my Issei do?'

Great Red, on the other hand, had different thoughts.

'Huh. Leiko's gonna have a fit when she finds out that the boy has yet another being in his 'Unwanted Harem'. And to top it all off, it's the damn Trihexa. Who would've thunk it?'

"Answer me, boy!" Rizevim snapped in impatience, "What did you do to 666?!"

"Forget about what he did, Rizevim!" Grendel said, as the dark green Western Dragon was beginning to lose his patience.

"What are you saying?!"

"What do you think I'm saying?! If 666 is on the side of Amaterasu's brat, then that means it's no longer on our side! That also means we can ignore these pathetic Devils and move on to challenge 666, Great Red and Ophis! Maybe with those three, the rest of the Dragons and I will have a good fight!"

As soon as Grendel finished his sentence, Great Red shared a side glance with Ophis, and the former snorted in amusement.

"Oh yeah, I like this idea." He quipped as he rolled his eyes, prompting Ophis to smile a bit at her brother's sarcasm.

"I don't think it's such a wise idea to make light of the power of the Trihexa." Azazel said, placing himself in the conversation.

Despite his words, the leader of the Fallen Angels was honestly at a lost. He never would have expected Issei Hyoudou of all people to...tame 666. He truly was one of the most interesting people Azazel had ever come in contact with.

"Pipe down, Fallen Angel!" Grendel snapped, "This has nothing to do with you! Why don't you flap your little wings and go off somewhere."

"Sorry you feel that way, Grendel," Azazel retorted, not even the least sympathetic, "But now that I think about it, I think it would be interesting to see how you fare against 666. After all, it's rumored to have strength on par with that of Great Red."

"Humph," Grendel huffed in ignorance, "And you think that worries me?"

"Grendel, you fool!" Rizevim shouted out to his comrade.

The very act of Grendel fighting against 666 was a terrifying thought in Rizevim's mind. Even if 666 was more or less on the side of the son of Amaterasu, that didn't mean its personality had changed completely. 666; the Trihexa, was perhaps one of the most malicious and terrifying existences in the world of the supernatural. Its insanity and malevolent nature brought uneasiness to even the God from the Bible.

"Don't be so rash at a time like this!" Rizevim warned, "You have no idea what the Trihexa is capable of!"

Grendel had the nerve to rise his head in bewilderment. For a Super Devil, Rizevim was completely acting out of character. Earlier, he bragged about crushing everyone with the assistance and power of 666. Now that the Trihexa had aligned itself with the son of Amaterasu, it appeared that Rizevim's plans were not going to come to fruition.

"What the hell's the wrong with you, Rizevim? I only want to see how strong 666 is! It's not like it has enough power to kill me anyway!"

'Grendel is just asking to be killed,' Great Red thought, 'I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. Poor bastard.'

"In fact," Grendel began as he smirked at the disguised Trihexa, "I'll let 666 have the first shot."

"That is not a wise move, Grendel. I'd advise you to be careful." Crom Cruach stated in a warning tone.

The Crescent Circle Dragon enjoyed battle just as much as Grendel. But that didn't mean he was any less cautious. After all, he was the strongest of the Evil Dragons. But even he knew not to underestimate 666, since he didn't know anything about its capabilities.

"Stay out of this, Cruach!" Grendel snapped back, "I can take care of myself!"

Smiling at the irritated look on his comrade's face, Grendel moved his attention back to the Trihexa, who was looking at him with its vacant expression.

"Just because you're in the form of a woman, doesn't mean I'll hold back, 666! Come and attack me! Let's see what you can do!"

Issei stared wide-eyed at Grendel's declaration.

'Is he serious?! He's not actually suggesting-'

He cut himself off when he noticed the Trihexa slowly grinning like a crazed maniac. It was as though her mouth would split open if she were to show any more of her sharp teeth. Suddenly, a crimson light illuminated in her mouth.

GRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

666 shouted and fired the crimson energy in the form of a wave from her mouth. The energy wave soared towards Grendel, who smiled widely as he wanted to prove his endurance.

Doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!

The crimson energy blast collided with Grendel, capturing him in a bright light which slowly faded. Grendel frowned as he realized that he didn't feel anything. Before he could shout at the Trihexa for not taking this seriously, he suddenly found himself in a crimson dome.

The Crime Force Dragon growled as he tried to escape from the dome. He charged a pool of flames and shot them out of his mouth. To his shock, this only augmented the crimson sphere of energy he was trapped in.

"What's going on?!" He demanded of 666, who only tilted her head in response.

The DxD team and Rizevim looked on in surprise at Grendel's situation. Her wide-open eyes seemingly darkening, the Trihexa lifted her finger, and traced it in the air, creating a red energy aura of light. The energy broke apart into sharp thorn-like needles. Her eyes descending into constricted pupils, 666 swung her arm back, allowing the thorns of energy to attack Grendel while he was trapped within the crimson dome.

"GYAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Grendel screamed out in unexpected pain as the thorns pierced him. During this session, the Crime Force Dragon was absolutely shocked. His Dragon scales were considered to be one of the hardest and toughest scales out of all Dragons. Hell, he was one of the Dragons who could actually enjoy and endure physical pain, which encouraged him to fight on.

However, the thorns of energy from 666 imbued Grendel with a great amount of pain. The Crime Force Dragon had tolerated pain for so long, he had forgotten how the sensation could hurt him for so much.

Grendel's thoughts suddenly went off when some of the thorns increased their lengths. Feeling panic for the first time, Grendel tried with all his might to free himself from the crimson dome.

"Let me out of here, you damn Trihexa!"

"Kill..."

The Crime Force Dragon looked up and actually gasped when he saw the dark look on the Trihexa's face.

"I will...kill you."

666 followed her statement by tracing her finger once more, this time creating a black energy light that divided into a seemingly infinite number of black energy spheres with crimson outlines. Her smile almost splitting her face, 666 pointed to the trapped Crime Force Dragon.

"...Kill."

At her command, the energy spheres shot towards Grendel, who shouted out in horror and agony. The spheres of 666 brought great damage to the Crime Force Dragon, disintegrating his hind legs, half of his head, and his left arm.

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The Dragon felt an excruciating amount of agony, and he felt himself even closer to the end of existence. He couldn't believe it. To be defeated by an ally of the son of Amaterasu.

Suddenly, the crimson dome of energy imploded upon Grendel, eradicating him from the battle field. The people on the battle field looked on in horror and amazement as they watched the one-sided battle between 666 and Trihexa.

The only ones who were neither shocked or impressed, were Ophis and Great Red. They were aware of what 666 could do, so they didn't bother to show any reaction.

Staring with shocked eyes, Issei watched the smoke of the energy dome fade away.

Turning away from the direction of the smoke, Issei jumped when 666 suddenly appeared in front of his face, with a strange look on her face.

"Did Trihexa...do good?" She asked, referring to herself in third person.

"?!"

"No! 666 did not do good!" Rizevim cried out as he watched one of his comrades die, "This can't be happening! This wasn't supposed to occur at all!"

"That damn Grendel," Crom Cruach chided, "I warned him not to test the strength of 666."

Aži Dahāka gritted his teeth in annoyance at his fallen comrade. But not in the way that most people would think. He and Grendel didn't exactly like one another, as evidence by their quarrel to see who would fight the Vali team earlier on.

Aži Dahāka wanted to be the one to fight Grendel and settle their quarrel. He wanted to settle the score between them. But Grendel's dumb ass had urged 666 to fight him, resulting in a humiliating, and rather brutal death.

Crom Cruach tensed as he felt his comrade's energy begin to spiral upwards. Grendel didn't listen to him, so if Aži Dahāka did the same action, he would be the only Dragon left. Although he was the strongest, he was still cautious about 666.

"Aži Dahāka! Calm yourself! Do not make the same mistake as Grendel!"

"Oh, shut up already! Don't you dare look out for me like I'm some kind of child! Grendel was a fool because he got caught off guard! Just watch, I won't make the same mistake as he did!"

With his declaration out of the way, Aži Dahāka charged towards 666, who removed her vacant gaze away from Issei, and glared ominously at him. The Diabolism Thousand Dragon narrowed his eyes as a pool of magic began to surround him. He wasn't worried, because although Grendel initially had rough scales to support him, Aži had magic to his advantage.

Summoning a large shield of energy, Aži Dahāka neared towards the Trihexa, who was glowering dangerously at him. Lifting her arm up, 666 charged another beam of crimson energy, and she shot it through Aži Dahāka's energy shield. However, the energy beam was repelled by the shield.

The Trihexa tilted her head in an akin of confusion, and her eyes remained wide-open. 666 was by no means a fighting genius, seeing as it only cared about causing destruction and mayhem. Seeing as it had no being to challenge it, with the exception of Great Red and Ophis, 666 found no need (or perhaps did not even think) to train itself.

"No...hit?" She questioned herself.

"What are you standing around for, 666?! Come on and fight me! Defeat me like you defeated Grendel! I know you can do better than that!"

The Apocalypse Dragon and the Ouroboros Dragon shared another side glance with each other.

"Do you think he will survive?" Ophis asked Great Red.

"Hmm. I give him 15 seconds."

"I, shall give him 5."

Aži Dahāka soared towards the Trihexa, and charged into her. Smiling widely at his successful attack, the Diabolism Thousand Dragon looked up, and his breath caught in his throat. Instead of sending the Trihexa away from him, he had allowed 666 to be contained within his own energy shield.

"...Huh. Looks like you were right, Ophis." Great Red admitted.

Ophis responded with her usual sly smile.

Sadistically gleeful that her target could be attacked, 666 drawed her left fist to the side, and charged a crimson surge of energy. Her smile threatening to break her face, the Trihexa brought her hand forward, and fired a colossal red energy wave towards the Diabolism Thousand Dragon, who screamed in horror and agony at the energy beam.

The attack caused the sky to give off a crimson-red aura, giving it the appearance of a bloody sky. The color slowly faded, reverting to the evening sky that lightened over the battle field.

Rizevim and Crom Cruach looked on in anger as they watched yet another of their comrades fall prey to the power of 666. Everyone, with the exception of Great Red and Ophis, shook as they felt the aura of the Trihexa, which calmed down as soon as the owner looked towards Issei.

"Trihexa did good. Didn't she?" She asked in a soft voice, once again referring to herself in the third person.

"I-I-"

It seemed that fate had a habit of not allowing Issei to finish his sentence. At that moment, a number of gigantic magical circles appeared in the battlefield, some of them silver-white, and the rest of them crimson.

The silhouettes appeared out of the circles, revealing Michael, Gabirel, Serafall, Sirzechs, and Grayfia Lucifuge.

"Onee-sama?!" Sona exclaimed.

"Onii-sama?! Grayfia?!" Rias cried out in surprise.

Two of the Maous looked on in surprise as they looked out at the battlefields. The Angels, Michael and Gabriel, had wide-opened eyes as they looked around their surroundings. Seconds later, they all had their eyes on Issei, Ophis, and Great Red.

Before they could say anything, Azazel made that time to intervene.

"Now I know what you're thinking. Are Issei Hyoudou, Great Red, and Ophis the cause for all of this mass destruction? As a matter of fact they are not."

"Then who is?" Serafall asked, her violet eyes looking around suspiciously.

The Fallen Angel pointed to the girl standing next to Issei. The Maous and the Angels widened their eyes in surprise when they noticed the destructive aura emitting from the girl. Gabriel almost felt her heart stop as she looked at the girl, while Michael tried to keep his cool.

"I-is that...?" Gabriel tried to begin.

Sensing the presence of the beings who were related to the one who sealed it in the first place, the Trihexa let out a threatening growl. Not wanting any of his allies to get hurt, Issei did something that would surprise everyone around him.

He placed his hand on top of 666's head, and patted it gently. Almost instantaneously, the Trihexa calmed down immediately, and let out a purr.

"THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Rizevim squealed.

The Maous and Angels didn't know what to say at the sight of Issei petting the very being that the God from the Bible sealed away. It was completely unorthodox. And it wasn't like something like this happened every day.

"U-um," Gabriel stuttered as she clasped her hands, "Well. You sure are full of surprises. Aren't you, Issei-kun?"

Issei only sighed in response, wondering why this situation was even happening at all. Looking around curiously, Great Red noticed the steam that resulted from Aži Dahāka's death. Raising his head up, the Great Red turned his head to Ophis, and shrugged his shoulders.

"Boy...that escalated quickly."

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

A chilling laugh echoed throughout the very depths of Death's Domain. The very embodiment of despair and destruction looked on in sadistic amusement as she spotted the two souls who recently dwelled in her home.

"Well, well, well," Death began in a mocking tone, "I must say, that I am impressed."

Two throaty growls were the responses to Death's quip, which prompted to Death's smile to widen.

"Two of the Evil Dragons, sent to my domain. And from such a humiliating curbstomp battle as well. The funny thing though, is that Darling was not the one who fought you. It was the ancient Trihexa, the very being that God sealed away in the deep trenches of space."

"Don't remind us!" Grendel, the Crime Force Dragon, snapped in derision.

"We didn't expect 666 to join the son of Amaterasu!" Aži Dahāka said in a menacing tone. "The plan was for the Trihexa to battle against the Great Red! But as you can see, that didn't happen!"

Death tilted her head in curiosity at the news. She knew the Trihexa was the one who was responsible for the deaths of Grendel and Aži Dahāka. However, she had no idea that 666 had aligned itself with Issei Hyoudou.

"666 is with Darling? My, my. He really is full of surprises."

"That damn bastard!" Grendel exclaimed in anger, "He should have been killed the moment Rizevim sent Yoru on him. Not only does he manage to come back with little to no injuries, but he also turns the Trihexa on his side! It's unbelievable!"

"Oi, Grendel!" Aži Dahāka began, "Quit bitching! It's your own damn fault you died!"

"What the hell did you just say?!"

"Don't forget, it was you who wanted to test the power of 666! You dismissed those pathetic Devils like the trash they are, and went on to challenge the Trihexa! Crom Cruach warned you to be cautious, but you didn't listen!"

"..."

For once Grendel was at a lost of how to respond to Aži Dahāka's claim. Even though he didn't like to admit it, he felt that he was a fool to dismiss Crom Crauch's concern. However, he couldn't help it. After all, the lust for battle and killing was in his blood.

Crossing her arms, Death shook her head. Her usual expression slowly dissolved into a unamused frown.

Frowning darkly, Grendel rose his head up as he thought of something that would potentially affect the outcome of Qlippoth.

"Hey. Where the hell is that Yoru brat? Is he here?"

Death uncrossed her arms, and rose a cool eyebrow in response. "The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto? No, his presence is not in my Domain."

Grendel and Aži Dahāka widened their eyes in surprise at the revelation.

"What do you mean he's not here?!" Grendel said impatiently. "If Amaterasu's brat is still alive, then that would mean that Yoru had to have perished!"

Feeling a little peeved due to Grendel's insults towards Issei, Death lifted her scythe towards him. This caused the Crime Force Dragon to back away slightly, before glowering at the manifestation of decay and destruction.

The white scythe suddenly formed into a large and exquisitely designed dark red, double-edged scythe. Aži Dahāka couldn't help but shudder at the intensity the scythe was releasing. Keeping his mouth shut for once, Grendel huffed and looked away.

Aži Dahāka looked around his surroundings and gritted his teeth.

"So Tsukuyomi's brat is still alive. But where the hell is he? No doubt he is going to attack Amaterasu's son when he recovers."

* * *

><p><strong>Astaroth's Clan<strong>

"I don't believe this! There is no way this is happening right now!" Rizevim shouted in disbelief.

The Super Devil gritted his teeth and flared out his overwhelming aura, revealing his soul as a bottomless and creepy pit. The DxD team, with the exception of the Dragons, Issei, and 666, trembled at the intensity of Rizevim's power.

Vali gritted his teeth at his grandfather. If anything, his grandfather's power seemed to increase in alignment with his anger. With the Sacred Gear canceller of his, he was still a formidable opponent.

Glaring at Issei harshly, Rizevim pointed to the young man.

"You! You stupid brat! How in the hell were you able to do all this?!"

Still petting the purring 666 on her head, Issei remained silent as he listened to Rizevim's rant.

"First, the Ouroboros Dragon. Then the Apocalypse Dragon! And now, the damn Trihexa! How is this possible for a lower being such as yourself?! To convert these powerful beings to your side! It's completely...ludicruous!"

This time Issei didn't have a response. He honestly didn't know why these powerful beings got along with him so much. Sighing a bit, Issei rubbed his forehead with his free hand.

"I guess I...have a weird way of attracting other beings." He admitted, this knowledge unknown to even himself.

"Tch!" Rizevim clicked his tongue, "Well, no matter! Despite that, I have Crom Cruach with me!"

Before anyone could react, the area around the Astaroth Clan was engulfed in a silverish aura. Issei narrowed his eyes as he sensed the familiar source of energy. Grunting, he looked up to see the silver energy being gathered.

"Yoru!"

The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto glared down at Issei with an intense look of murderous hatred. The silver energy formed into his hand in the shape of a sphere. Gritting his teeth, Yoru waved his hand forward, and fired it towards the people surrounding the Astaroth Clan.

Widening his eyes, Issei flared out the area of his godlike form, summoning a durable shield that covered the DxD team, Ophis, Great Red and 666. Rizevim did the same, covering himself and Crom Cruach in a crimson shield.

Unbeknownst to Issei, the energy radiating off of his solar shield seemed to be affecting the women around him. Ophis, who was used to Issei's Solar Energy, showed no reaction at all, with the exception of a light blush that formed on her cheeks. The Trihexa only purred in response to the radiation from the Solar Energy.

Aside from Ophis and 666, it appeared that Gabriel, Serafall, Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki were being effected as well.

'I-I didn't think Issei-kun's energy could feel so warm!" The Angel said with a blush on her pale face.

It was almost briefly instantaneous, but the wings on Gabriel's back began to flicker to a black color. The Angel's eyes widened as her blush intensified.

'Oh dear! Issei-kun's energy is making me think...impure thoughts about him!' Gabriel said in disbelief, as she tried to clear her thoughts.

She didn't think a being that was so much younger than her could make her think such things. As she felt the warmth of Issei's Solar Energy, her blush became even more prominent, and she struggled to maintain the white shine of her wings.

Serafall, on the other hand, let her thoughts surrounding Issei cloud her mind. As she was one of the Devils who had sensed Issei's energy ever since he was born, she was not new to the warm feeling. Her violet eyes were closed as her cheeks gained a red shade.

'Ise-chan's energy! It's making me have such strange thoughts!'

Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki had similar thoughts. They had never actually been close to feeling the radiation ofIssei's Solar Energy. As much as they were tamed and disciplined, the four beauties of Kuoh Academy were still Devils. Devils reigned in their desires and wants, and right now, the Solar Energy of Issei was something they wanted to 'bathe' in.

'This energy! It feels weird!' Rias thought, her face glowing with the same color as her hair.

'F-fu-fu! I don't think I've ever felt so hot and bothered just by sensing energy! Such a cute boy!' Akeno exclaimed in her thoughts.

Tsubaki was blushing furiously at the intensity of the solar shield.

"I-I never would have anticipated that the feeling of Solar Energy could be so...pleasurable." The Shinra Devil admitted, much to her embarrassment.

Sona, in great contrast to her fellow Devils, had her face down. She was shaking just slightly, her red glasses seemingly fogging up.

'Issei Hyoudou...certaintly has a peculiar type of energy.' She noted with a flush of red on her face.

Yoru's attack caused a vast explosion to occur throughout the Astaroth area. His energy sphere was so intense, that the ground below everyone immediately disintegrated, leaving a gigantic crater.

Sensing that the traces of Yoru's blast was gone, Issei looked up at his cousin, who was flying towards quickly.

"RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Yoru growled out.

Maintaining his solar shield, Issei charged towards his cousin, and the two disappeared to another location, causing Issei's solar shield to fade away. The female Devils, and Angel noticeably showed disappointment at the lack of the warm Solar Energy.

Ophis narrowed her eyes and looked up to her brother.

"My Issei is locked in a battle with the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. It seems that the Sun and the Moon shall forever maintain a conflict with each other."

Huffing at Ophis' words, Great Red looked towards 666, who looked a bit distressed.

"Given Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi's history, I'm not surprised at all."

Following Great Red's gaze, Ophis tilted her head as she spotted the Trihexa.

"666 is upset, due to the absence of my mate. Perhaps, we shall take our leave and return to our home to discuss a describable outcome." She noted.

The Apocalypse Dragon looked towards his sister, and widened his eyes in curiosity. He then narrowed his eyes and looked to 666.

"Hey, Trihexa!"

At the call of her name, 666 slowly looked up at the True Red Dragon God Emperor.

"The place we fought in. The Dimensional Gap. Is it still intact, or wasted away?"

The Trihexa tilted her head in confusion, before her red eyes widened in remembrance.

"Still...broken." She revealed to Great Red.

"Humph. Then I can still reform our home. Are you ready, Ophis?"

"Yes. I, am ready."

Almost simultaneously, Ophis, Great Red, and 666 transmitted away from the battlefield, leaving the Devils and Angels alone.

Narrowing his eyes, Rizevim let out a curse of disgust towards Yoru. It seemed that Yoru was following his own agenda in order to finish off Issei. Which meant that there was a chance that Yoru was going to destroy everyone else when he was done.

Crom Cruach gritted his teeth as he looked around the area.

"Rizevim. I'm going after them." He announced.

The elder Lucifer widened his eyes in surprise.

"What are you planning, Cruach?"

"I'm going to assist Yoru in his battle against the son of Amaterasu. Then after that is done, I'll finish off Yoru myself. Both of them are too dangerous to be left alive."

"...Very well. Do not fail me, Crom Cruach." Rizevim warned.

"You better keep that promise to yourself." Crom Cruach warned as he transmitted away.

* * *

><p><strong>Barren Wasteland<strong>

Issei and Yoru reappeared, standing far away from each other, both glaring at the other.

"Kuh! Are you surprised I'm still alive, cousin?"

"Not really."

Their auras flared out, causing the wasteland to shake in tremors. Issei looked up at the sky when he sensed a tremendous source of energy.

'Crom Cruach.'

The Crescent Circle Dragon descended next to Yoru, who glowered at him.

"Stay out of this weakling!" The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto growled out, "Don't interfere!"

Crom Cruach only scoffed in response. "The least you could is be grateful. With my assistance, you might actually have a better chance in defeating the son of Amaterasu."

Yoru gritted his teeth as his eyes twitched. He didn't want this fool to interfere in his battle with Issei.

"You piece of garbage." Yoru quietly insulted the Crescent Circle Dragon.

Ignoring his reluctant teammate, Crom Cruach looked to the son of Amaterasu, impressed with the appearance and power of his recently acquired Super Solar God transformation.

"Your power is very impressive, Issei Hyoudou. It's a shame that it won't be enough to help in your favor."

"And do you think that's going to stop me from trying?" Issei said as he got into a battle position.

Before either Crom Cruach or Yoru could reply, the area around them suddenly dissolved. Moving himself back into his normal stance, Issei widened his eyes when a bright flash suddenly blinded.

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

Issei blinked several times as he found himself in the vast space once again. The same spiral of stars, dark matter, and stellar clusters. The young man looked around curiously, not knowing why he was suddenly transported to his current location.

"I remember this area. I was here after I finished my battle with Yoru. But...why am I back here again?"

"..._Such a strange creature_."

Issei jumped at the sound of the voice. The tone of it held such a chilling tone within. Its emotionless tone, which sounded like it was far more cold and apathetic than even Ophis' voice, echoed out throughout the space Issei was in.

Slowly turning around, Issei looked up at the sound of the voice, and his eyes widened.

It was a pale-skinned woman with long dark black hair and black eyes. Her height greatly towered over Issei, mirroring almost the size of the true form of the Apocalypse Dragon. The adult woman had a rather well-endowed and shapely figure, which was only covered by a manifestation of energy spirals surrounding her.

Issei couldn't help but shudder as the woman's cold gaze bore into his soul. Despite her emotionless expression, the power Issei was sensing from her gave him chills. The immense energy the woman was emitting far surpassed that of Ophis, Great Red, and even the Trihexa combined.

'The power being released...is unreal!' Issei exclaimed in his thoughts, 'I never would have thought that someone possessed enough power to surpass Ophis, Great Red, and 666.'

The woman tilted her head very slowly, her expression unchanging. Her lips were set into a thin flat line, with her cold black eyes showing no traces of any emotion. Her dull gaze bore upon Issei, who suddenly felt like a mouse.

Issei had never felt so frightened in his entire life. The power the woman was releasing, along with her indifferent stare, gave Issei an unsettling and ominous feeling. The fact that her power was far above than that of the three most powerful existences, bothered Issei more.

Tilting her head again, the woman moved her hand, and placed it under the floating Issei. Moving her hand upwards, the woman captured Issei in her grasp, and closed her hand into a fist. Bringing her hand to her eye level, the woman opened her hand, and gazed once again at Issei with her emotionless stare.

The son of Amaterasu didn't know what to say at this moment. He just looked into the woman's dull black eyes, waiting to hear what she would say.

"_You have managed to entertain me for some time now_." The woman said in a creepy monotone voice that gave Issei even more chills.

"E-entertain?" Issei repeated in confusion.

The woman spoke as though she had not heard Issei's reply.

"_That is why I am conversing with you now. To warn you_."

"To warn me?" Issei began in curiosity, "Warn me about what?"

The woman's expression was set in a stone-faced cold look. Her eyes remained fixed upon Issei.

"_That it would benefit you...to not disappoint me_."

'Disappoint her? I don't understand this at all!'

Lifting the hand that held Issei within her grasp, the woman's eyes changed just slightly.

"_For entertaining me this far, I shall grant you a gesture of my affection_."

"..."

Very slowly, the woman puckered out her lips, and put her hand to her mouth. Issei rose an eyebrow, not knowing what this woman was doing. The woman then made a kissing sound, and slowly flipped her hand out towards Issei. Then suddenly, she blew lightly onto Issei, causing a manifestation of energy that formed into a pair of lips to hit the young man.

Issei gasped as he felt the energy smack him in the face. Shaking just slightly, he shook his head to compose himself, and looked up at the woman, who still had her gaze upon him.

"Um...who are you?" Issei asked in genuine wonder.

The woman didn't respond, as the area and herself began to dissolve completely.

* * *

><p><strong>Barren Wasteland<strong>

Issei widened his eyes when he found himself standing in front of Yoru and Crom Cruach once more. They appeared to be still, as though as they were frozen in time.

"_I am the one that watches all from the above. That is all, I shall tell you._"

"I don't-"

"_Do not let yourself become blind by the wrong idea. I have no intention of being your ally. I intend only to see how your actions affect the world you live in. That is why I allowed you to see my presence. To ensure that you are aware that I have no desire to experience boredom._"

"..."

"_Do make sure that you will not disappoint me_." The voice of the woman echoed throughout the wasteland, before it faded away entirely.

As soon as that happened, time seemed to flow again, as Crom Cruach and Yoru immediately got into battle positions. Sensing that time was of the essence, Issei flared out his aura, ready to battle his two opponents.

"Issei Hyoudou!"

At the call of his name, Issei looked up and his eyes widened in complete surprise. He recognized the short blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He also remembered that same burgundy blazer, and the pyrokinetic wings jutting out from the man's back.

"Riser!" Issei shouted in shock,

Narrowing his eyes, Riser Phenex descended next to the surprised Issei, and glared at Yoru and Crom Cruach.

"Humph. A Phoenix helping a God? This is unprecedented." The Crescent Circle Dragon said in interest.

"Riser. What are you doing here?" Issei asked in great wonderment.

Looking towards Issei for a moment, Riser sent his former enemy a prideful smirk.

"I'll explain later, Issei Hyoudou. But now isn't the time. I overheard the conversation of two of the Evil Dragons in Death's Domain. They mentioned Crom Cruach, and they said he was the strongest Evil Dragon. So naturally, I assumed he was going to come in contact with you."

"..."

"Then they mentioned something about the one who possessed the powers of the Moon. The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. Your cousin. I guess I...thought you could use some help."

"Riser..."

"Humph! It doesn't matter how many of you bugs there are!" Yoru snapped in rage, "It just leaves more trash for me to pick off!"

Nodding to Riser, Issei turned his attention to his cousin, and flared out the aura of his Super Solar God aura. Riser flared out the intensity of his pyrokinectic wings, his power emitting throughout the location he was in.

"This...is unexpected." Crom Cruach admitted, narrowing his eyes in concentration.

"This will be over quickly. And then you're next, Crescent bastard." Yoru declared as he flared out his lunar energy.

"Issei Hyoudou," Riser began, "Are you ready?"

Feeling the wind above him, Issei closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Seconds later, Issei opened his eyes sharply, and released his aura explosively.

"Let's finish this!"


	18. Issei & Riser vs Yoru & Crom Cruach

**Omniverse**

The 'Above' Entity stared down at the Universe with her blank and ominous black eyes. Although she didn't appear like it, she felt a twinge of amusement while she spoke to the son of Amaterasu. In spite of the Above's attempt to adopt a human-like form in order to converse with Issei, the young man was frightened of her appearance. However, that was to be expected from anyone she allowed herself to come in contact with.

The 'Above' tilted her head and narrowed her black eyes. In spite of her involvement of the process of creation, the 'Above' was, in a sense, lonely. That isn't to say that she yearned for company, since she could easily create something with the sole purpose of acting as a companion. As she informed Issei, the 'Above' desired not to experience boredom, and warned Issei not to disappoint her. After all, she didn't want to see the same outcome of every Universe she created.

"_The destruction of every Universe_," The 'Above' said in her lifeless voice, "_It has happened far too many times. To the point that it has become predictable for my tastes_."

The 'Above' lifted her hand up to her view of sight, and tilted her head again. Puckering her lips, she blew out a reddish purplish aura of energy. As the energy faded away, the 'Above' placed her hand down, and stared down at her source of entertainment.

"_Perhaps this Universe will manage to be worth of my time, if the source of my interest is able to save the rock on which he lives upon. If not_..."

The Above's eyes darkened, her voice suddenly gaining an even colder and robotic monotone edge to it.

"_I will simply destroy this Universe in order to prevent myself from experiencing boredom_."

Despite her words, the 'Above' watched the interesting Universe she was focused on with suppressed earnest. The conflicts with the supernatural involved within the Universe meant absolutely nothing to the Above. The situations with the Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels didn't particularly interest her in the slightest. Her undivided attention was focused on the battle between the son of Amaterasu, Riser Phenex, Crom Cruach, and the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.

Her black eyes lighting for just a moment, the 'Above' placed her hand above the literal Universe, and she tilted her head.

"_Son of Amaterasu. You are a very interesting creature._"

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

"You are looking very pale, brother." Amaterasu noted.

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto took in a deep breath as he tried to conserve his last reserves of energy. The God of the Moon looked up at his sister, and scowled deeply at her. While Tsukuyomi was suffering, Amaterasu appeared to be extremely well. As though the drain of the Sun's energy was not affecting her at all.

"Very perceptive of you, sister." Tsukuyomi mocked, "But it puzzles me why you're still standing. Your son has absorbed the full power of the primordial Sun, and yet you appear to be healthy as ever."

"..." Amaterasu gave no response.

"Why is that?"

Amaterasu kept silent, unsure of what to say. She could sense Issei sharing his energy with hers. Her son's warm Solar Energy combined with her overwhelming energy, creating a pleasurable feeling within her.

Tsukuyomi, on the other hand, was feeling horrible. With Yoru draining and absorbing the full power of the Moon, the God was extremely weakened. He couldn't understand why Amaterasu was fine, while he was suffering.

"Because my little Sun...my _baby_ has accepted me." Amaterasu admitted, much to her own surprise.

Issei had finally accepted Amaterasu as his mother, since the Goddess of the Sun was still glowing with her own energy. Looking down at her brother, Amaterasu's expression softened.

"What of your son?"

"He's a monster."

"Perhaps that is why you are being drained of your energy. You two don't accept each other as the Moon."

"..."

"You suppressed Yoru's power and kept it from his control. I sent my little Sun to Earth so his abilities could grow. His power grew due to his incubation on Earth, and because of that, his physiology allowed him to survive."

"...I made a mistake in creating Yoru. I didn't anticipate that he would turn out like this."

"Even though we do not fight any longer, the Sun and the Moon are destined to be in conflict. It is all because of us."

"...And I was the one who started it all." Tsukuyomi admitted, much to his displeasure.

* * *

><p><strong>Astaroth Clan<strong>

"You're at a disadvantage, Rizevim. If you're smart, you should consider giving up."

At the call of his name, Rizevim turned to glare moodily at Sirzechs Lucifer. This was not going well for the grandfather of Vali. The son of Amaterasu had managed to ruin Rizevim's entire plan. And to add insult to injury, he managed to convert the Trihexa over to his side, with reasons unknown to even himself.

Only this knowledge angered Rizevim Lucifer more, and he felt a desire to put all of his anger on his opponents. The grandfather of Vali then thought at a clear pace.

'With the son of Amaterasu, Ophis, Great Red, and...666 somewhere else, everyone else should be easy to take care of. If Crom Cruach succeeds in eliminating Issei Hyoudou and Yoru, then defeating these fools should be an easy task.'

"If you think I'm going to give up just like that, then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed! I have no intention of being defeated by you losers!" Rizevim countered out angrily.

"Looks like someone's in denial even when they know they're beaten!" Said a childish voice.

Rizevim turned to scowl at Serafall, who gave him a glare in return.

"Serafall Leviathan. How awful to see you." He mocked.

Serafall smiled wryly at the elder Lucifer. "Likewise."

As soon as she finished her sentence, Serafall placed her hand on the ground. Suddenly the land of the Astaroth Clan converted into a world of ice. Rizevim narrowed his eyes and summoned a demonic shield, causing the ice to melt into water.

"Really?!" Rizevim challenged, "Is that the best you can do?! Did you really believe that ice could contain me?"

Narrowing her eyes, Serafall turned around to face her sister and Rias.

"Rias-chan! Onee-chan! I want you and your peerages to get out of this area!"

Rias and Sona widened their eyes, with the latter attempting to back up her response.

"Onee-sama-"

"I'll be fine, Sona-tan!" Serafall promised, ignoring Sona's blush of embarrassment, "Besides, your servants have Sacred Gears, which won't work against Rizevim! It will only make things worse!"

Sona tried to stand her ground, but she knew her sister was right. Nodding to Rias, Sona summoned the Sitri teleportation circle, and transmitted away from the battlefield. Rias followed suit, teleporting herself and her peerage away from the Astaroth Clan field.

Glad that her younger sister was safe and sound, Serafall changed her cheerful expression to a glowering scowl. Her vast demonic power formed into an overwhelming aura thar surrounded her. Following suit, were Sirzechs, Gabriel, Michael, and Grayfia, who also flared out their auras.

"What's this?" Rizevim said, "Two of the Four Great Satans, the Strongest Woman in Heaven, the first creation of the God himself, and lastly the Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation. This'll be a battle to remember."

* * *

><p><strong>Barren Wasteland<strong>

Flaring his pyrokineitc wings, Riser charged towards Crom Cruach, who countered the Phoenix's attack. Despite residing in Death's Domain for a long period of time, Riser's power did not decrease in the slightest. To prove this, Riser charged a sphere of blazes and fired it at the Crescent Circle Dragon.

While Riser battled against Crom Cruach, Issei and Yoru stood far apart from each other. Flaring out their opposing auras, Issei and Yoru charged and collided with each other. The Sun and the Moon were once again in a climatic battle, their exchange causing the wasteland to shake erratically.

Issei covered himself in a shield of solar energy, while Yoru performed the same, with the exception of his use with lunar energy. The two grunted when they clashed with each other, their energy auras canceling each other out.

Putting their hands in front of themselves, Issei and Yoru charged a white-clear sphere of energy. They narrowed their eyes when they found that the other wasn't budging their control at all. Simultaneously, Issei and Yoru lost their focus and as a result, were hurled violently into parts of the wastelands.

Getting up instantly, Yoru gathered a silver sphere of energy and hurled it towards Issei, who recovered and dodged the incoming attack. Narrowing his eyes, Issei lifted his foot up and stomped hard on the ground, causing an earth-quake like attack to unbalance Yoru. Yoru gritted his teeth as he struggled to retain his balance, and he flew up to the sky.

Gathering more energy, Yoru increased the size of his energy blast, and got ready to deliver the blow, before Issei reappeared in front of him with a solar energy blast already charged. Grinning sadistically, Yoru grunted and went to attack his cousin, only for Issei to counterattack. The two delivered their respective attacks at the same time, causing a close energy sphere struggle.

"Why don't you just give up already?!" Yoru shouted to Issei.

"Funny, I could ask the same thing about you!" Issei countered to his cousin.

The imbalance between the Sun and the Moon caused Issei and Yoru to be sent back from each other. The two eventually recovered and glared at each other. Issei scoffed and tried to concentrate. His eyes then widened as he thought of something that could give him an advantage.

'Ddraig? Orochi-chan?'

**{What is it partner?}**

**[Isssssei?]**

'...I know I don't deserve your power. I also know I don't deserve to ask this of you. But...please. Lend me your power! So I can help everyone on Earth. I can't do it without you guys!'

**{...Humph. Don't be an idiot, partner.}**

'Huh?!'

**[Sssstupid Isssssei.]**

**{You don't remember, Issei? The first day I met you. I said that I shall lend you my power whenever you ask of it.}**

'Ddraig...'

**{Humph. Don't get all sentimental on me, partner. In either case, I shall lend you my power. Put it to good use, Issei Hyoudou!}**

After that declaration, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi manifested in Issei's hand. The young man held the sword out in front of him, and seconds later, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi glowed a crimson color with black outlines.

_**{[YAMATA WELSH SOLAR DRAGON OVERBOOSTER!]}**_

Suddenly, the sword imploded upon Issei, causing a mushroom cloud of smoke to emerge.

The cloud of smoke faded, revealing Issei clad in a deep Black Dragon Armor with crimson jewels. The crimson jewels glowed with great power, causing the black armor to glow as well.

Yoru widened his eyes in shock as he sensed the power emitting from his cousin.

"What?! Where is he getting all this energy?!"

Within the armor, Issei put his arms in front of him, and his voice suddenly gained a doubled echo as he spoke in unison with the Red Dragon Emperor and the Yamata-no-Orochi. The armor which covered him started to give off a black and crimson mist.

**_"I, who is about to awaken_**

**_Am the Solar Dragon Emperor who has discarded the principles of domination_**

**_Holding the infinite hopes and unbreakable dreams and walking the path of righteousness_**

**_I shall become the Solar God of the Crimson Dragon_**

**_And I promise you all! I will lead you to the Path of Heaven, glowing in deep crimson and black light!"_**

The chest section of Issei's Dragon Armor opened, revealing a flaming sphere of energy with black flames covering it. Widening his eyes at the power, Yoru charged a dark-silver energy sphere of energy and fired at Issei. The energy sphere from Yoru suddenly morphed into a gigantic energy bomb.

Issei released the power of his Solar Emperor Smasher, colliding his immense energy beam with Yoru's attack. However, the son of Tsukuyomi quickly realized that the size of his energy bomb was slowly decreasing at a fast rate.

"This is it Yoru! I won't let you destroy everything on Earth! I won't let you!" Issei screamed as he put more power into his attack.

Riser dodged an attack from Crom Cruach, and looked back at the armor covered Issei.

'He's getting an advantage! And against his own antithesis!'

"GAHHHHH!" Yoru screamed out as he was overwhelmed by Issei's attack.

As Yoru's body burned away, a gigantic sphere of energy poured out of his own body, and edged upwards towards the sky. Looking up at the sphere, Issei narrowed his eyes within the armor.

'The Moon. The energy's returning to Space, as it should be.'

Crom Cruach landed a harsh punch to Riser, causing the Phoenix to crash into the ground. Scowling darkly at the Devil, Crom Cruach pointed to him.

"You're pathetic. If you couldn't defeat the son of Amaterasu, what makes you believe you can defeat someone like me?"

Before Riser could even get a response in, Crom Cruach started to change his shape, morphing into a large-sized Dragon with black and golden eyes. Cruach's height towered that of Grendel's height, and smoke puffed out of his mouth.

Riser widened his eyes as he sensed the Crescent Circle Dragon's power, and he trembled. Aside from Issei, Death, and the God from the Bible, Riser had never sensed such a horrifying power.

Gathering a large sphere of fire, Crom Cruach prepared his attack, and got ready to send it towards Riser, before Issei reappeared in front of the Phoenix Devil, and held his arms to the side. With no hesitation, the Crescent Circle Dragon delivered the sphere of fire towards Issei.

The fire engulfed Issei and Riser, causing a huge cloud of smoke to emerge throughout the barren wastelands.

* * *

><p><strong>Astaroth Clan<strong>

Gabriel and Michael summoned a series of light weapons. The brightness of them illuminated the dark trenches of the battlefield. The siblings shot them towards Rizevim, who summoned another demonic shield.

Serafall cursed quietly and looked over to Sirzechs.

"Sirzechs-chan. Is there a way to beat Rizevim? The Vanishing Dragon can't access Albion's power because of Rizevim's Sacred Gear canceller, so Vali can't help us at this point."

The Crimson Maou remained silent for a few moments, his face completely serious as he thought of a strategy. His blue-green eyes widened as he thought of something. He turned to look at his wife, who noticed her husband's gaze.

"Grayfia." Sirzechs said as he then looked over at Serafall, "Serafall. I want you two to attack him with your ice generation."

"Sirzechs-sama." Grayfia began with a suspicious glare, "What are you planning?"

Gabriel and Michael continued to summon more light spears, with Rizevim maintaining his demonic shield.

"No matter how powerful your light spears are, they won't be enough to penetrate my shield!" Rizevim declared.

The elder Lucifer widened his eyes when he suddenly felt trapped from the ground. Widening his light-blue eyes further, Rizevim looked down to see his feet trapped within a pool of ice. Narrowing his eyes, the grandfather of Vali looked up to see Grayfia and Serafall generating energies of ice, and sending it towards him.

He then looked to see Sirzechs being covered by a crimson red mist, his aura increasing to a great size.

'No! It can't be! He's converting himself into a living embodiment of the Power of Destruction!'

Sirzechs narrowed his eyes as his body formed itself into a large pool of radiant demonic energy. The condensed version of the Power of Destruction gave off a destructive and eerie aura around the battlefield.

"The Power of Destruction?!"

"Vali!" Sirzechs called Rizevim's grandson over, "Are you ready?"

Vali didn't answer, choosing to go into a battle position.

_**(I, who is about to awaken,**_

_**Am the Heavenly Dragon who has taken the principles of supremacy from God**_

_**I envy the "infinite" and I pursue the "dream"**_

_**I shall become the White Dragon of Domination**_

_**And I shall take you to the limits of white paradise!)**_

Vali's body began to glow as silver armor engulfed him, brightening around the area of the Astaroth Clan. The Vanishing Dragon took a deep breath as he found himself in the Empireo Juggernaut Overdrive form. He knew he couldn't maintain the form for a long period of time, but he had to give it a shot. If Sirzech's plan was to succeed, then Rizevim would finally be put down like the trash he was.

Flying towards Sirzechs, Vali placed his hand on the embodiment of the Power of Destruction, and gripped onto the Devil's energy.

_**(DIVIDE!)**_

Vali gritted his teeth as he felt the overwhelming power of the Power of Destruction flowing through his armor. After ten seconds were up, Vali glowered hatefully towards his grandfather, and rushed towards him. The crimson aura from Sirzechs, combined with the power of the Vanishing Dragon, tore through Rizevim's demonic shield. Rizevim was so shocked that he failed to counter against Vali's fist, which bashed against the Devil's face.

Vali delivered a great number of rapid punches onto his grandfather, who was frozen in place due to Grayfia and Serafall's ice manipulation. The Devils and Angels looked on as they felt Rizevim's energy signature fading away. With his newfound increased power, Vali let loose all of his hatred and anger onto his grandfather, finally silencing him after so many years.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Uhhhh..."

Issei groaned tiredly as he opened his eyes. His sight cleared up when he realized that he was looking into the eyes of his wife.

Ophis smiled as she watched her mate awaken from his sleep-like state. Shaking his head, Issei regained his balance, and sat up straight. He widened his eyes and looked around the Dimensional Gap, spotting the smirking Great Red, and Trihexa.

"Wha-what happened?" Issei asked curiously.

"What does it look like? Your battle is over." Great Red answered.

"What?"

"Baka-Red sent 666 to defeat Crom Cruach." Ophis told him.

At the mention of 666, Issei looked towards the Trihexa, who smiled eerily at him.

"I...helped."

Feeling a little creeped out, Issei sighed and rubbed his head. His eyes widened further when he realized someone was missing.

"Wait! What happened to Riser?! Is he all right?!"

Ophis tilted her head curiously.

"The Phenex Devil is now resting in the realm of the Shinigami."

Issei sighed in relief and crossed his arms. He looked around the Dimensional Gap once more, and looked at the trio of powerful beings.

"So...is it finally over?"

He felt a pair of cold hands on his cheeks, and suddenly, his lips were claimed by the only one who had ever claimed them in the first place. Great Red rolled his eyes as he looked at the couple, while 666 noticeably fidgeted about, with her red eyes twitching ever so slightly.

Releasing her lips from Issei, Ophis gave her mate a warm smile.

"Yes. It is finally over, my precious Issei."

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

The 'Above' slowly lifted her head up, and her blank black eyes seemed to descend just a little. The energy spirals that surrounded her seemed to increase in intensity, and they covered her body up to her breasts.

"_How interesting. Not only did he save his planet, but he unlocked his full power. Two variables, I did not expect him to perform._"

The 'Above' tilted her head in a motion akin to curiosity, and she crossed her arms. In an unconscious manner, she lifted her hand and brushed a strand of black hair away from her ear. The son of Amaterasu truly was an interesting creature to the 'Above'. Every action he performed in his Universe, intrigued her to a degree.

Uncrossing her arms, the 'Above' placed her right arm on her hip, and placed her left arm to the side.

"_Such a foolish creature, and yet...he is one of the few beings who imbues curiosity within me._"

She narrowed her black eyes slightly, and tilted her head as a random thought came to her.

"_Perhaps, I shall observe him closely at a much later time_."

* * *

><p><strong>Six Months Later<strong>

**Apartment in Tokyo**

Looking out of his window, which allowed him to see the people below, a young man looked up as the sunset began to commence. In contrast to his usual attire, the young man was dressed in a black V neck line shirt with long sleeves, blue jeans, and shoes.

His brown hair and brown eyes reflected from the shine of the Sun, as though he was having a staring contest with one of the primordial sources of life itself. Smiling warmly, the young man put his hands in his pockets, enjoying the serene image in the sky.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

At the sound of the door, the young man turned around and walked over to the object. Placing his hand on the doorknob, he turned it open, revealing a familiar figure.

"It's been a long time. Issei Hyoudou."

"Sona-san."

Sona Sitri lifted the edge of her glasses. She was dressed in a light-blue colored lace blouse and denim jeans, and was carrying a deep blue coloured coat in her hand.

"It's good to see you. If you don't mind, Tsubaki is also accompanying me. I may be a hindrance to you, but please give me a bit of your time so I can talk with you."

Issei smiled as he crossed his arms.

"Nah, it's all right. I don't mind."

Almost on cue, Tsubaki Shinra walked past the door, meeting Issei's eyes. Sona's queen was dressed in a blue turtleneck and denim jeans. She smiled as she looked at Issei.

"It's good to see you again, Hyoudou-san."

Issei nodded in response, and he offered the girls a seat on his black couch.

"You guys want something to drink?" Issei asked for the sake of common courtesy.

Sona and Tsubaki shook their heads, prompting Issei to sit on the couch across from the two Devils.

"So should we discuss why we are here in your house?" Tsubaki suggested.

"There's no other reason is there?' Issei asked jokingly.

"We've come here to invite you, Ophis, Great Red, your cousin Leiko, and...the Trihexa to a pool party in the Underworld." Sona told him.

"A pool party?" Issei asked in curiosity.

"Have you ever attended a pool party before?" Tsubaki asked.

"Not in the Underworld." The young man admitted.

Sona couldn't help but smile at Issei's response. Fixing her glasses, Sona held out her hand and summoned a small blue magic circle. The energy from the magic circle manifested into a glowing letter. Blinking several times, Issei grabbed the letter from Sona's hands and opened it.

His brown eyes widened a little when he saw who was attending the pool party. According to the list, some Fallen Angels, and Angels were invited to the pool party. In short, there were going to be a lot of supernatural creatures.

"Are you sure a pool is going to be big enough for all of the guests?" Issei asked uncertainly.

Tsubaki smiled in response to Issei's hesitancy.

"Kaichou's family is known for their water generation. A pool should be sufficient enough for a party."

"...I sure hope so."

* * *

><p><strong>5 Minutes Later<strong>

"My Issei."

Smiling at the familiar voice, Issei turned around to see a woman who appeared to be in her early thirties. She had long black hair and narrowed dark-gray eyes that could pierce any mortal's soul. The woman was dressed in normal clothing, the only thing standing out being the Gothic Lolita headpiece on top of her head.

"Ophis." Issei greeted as the Ouroboros Dragon walked over to him.

The Infinite Dragon God gave her mate her usual sly smile, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Are you enjoying your staring contest with the Sun?"

Issei smiled at Ophis' attempt at a dry joke, but he humored her anyway.

"Yeah." He conceded.

It has been six months since the battle between the Sun and the Moon. With the death of Yoru, the energy of the Moon returned to its rightful place within Space. With the power of the primordial Sun within his body, Issei also returned it to Space, in order to grant his mother her energy back.

Speaking of Amaterasu...

Issei looked up at the Sun, feeling the warm energy that he basked in when he was a child. It always reassured him, gave him hope and energy to live on. It gave life to the Earth, and to him as well.

"Baka-Red is waiting for you outside." Ophis told him.

Issei turned to his wife in surprise.

"He is? What does he want?"

The Ouroboros Dragon looked at her mate for a moment, before her smile widened.

"Guess. My darling mate."

* * *

><p><strong>Outside of Issei's Apartment<strong>

A muscle-bound man with red hair and golden eyes sat patiently on his Harley Davidson motorcycle. His biker hat shadowed over his eyes, giving nearby people the impression he was sleeping, which was not the case.

Stepping outside of his door, Issei smiled as he spotted the man.

"What's up?" He greeted.

Recognizing Issei's voice, Great Red smirked widely and bumped fists with his brother-in-law. The Apocalypse Dragon grinned as he crossed his arms.

"It's boring as hell in the Dimensional Gap, so I thought it would be a good idea to catch some time with my little bro."

"By riding motorcycles, huh?" Issei asked, though his face showed that he was amused.

"Hey, don't treat it so lightly. Don't you remember the day Ophis prevented us from going to that motorcycle tournament?"

Issei chuckled at the memory and rubbed his head. "Yeah. You can't blame her though. After all, you were the one who practically kidnapped me."

"For an innocent reason!" Great Red reasoned.

"Haha. Even so..." Issei trailed off as he looked at the other motorcycle. He then looked up at his apartment window to see Ophis and another woman looking down at him. The other woman had crimson-red hair tied in braids that tied together behind her back. Her matching colored eyes looked curiously at Issei and Great Red.

Issei smiled up at the two women.

"Hex-chan looks curious as always. I'm glad she's getting used to living on Earth."

"Humph. So are you ready?"

"...Yeah." Issei said as he got onto the motorcycle.

"Don't be a slow poke when we ride!"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that."

Issei and Great Red revved their respective motorcycles, and they whooped as they rode off to the sunset.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Hours at Issei's Apartment (Bathroom)<strong>

Issei sighed as he sat in his bathtub. Sitting behind him was Ophis, who had her arms wrapped around him in a loving gesture. The young man smiled as his mind drifted off to other thoughts.

"Did you have fun with Baka-Red today?"

"Yeah," Issei said as he smiled wider, "He really knows how to ride a motorcycle. I could barely catch up to him."

Ophis smiled in amusement as she rested her head on Issei's shoulder.

"I am glad, my Issei had fun."

"...Bath."

Issei and Ophis looked up to see the Trihexa in all her naked glory.

"...Hex-chan?" Issei questioned 666.

Ignoring Issei, 666 got into the bathtub, and scooted closer to Issei, prompting Ophis to hold onto Issei tighter. The Ouroboros Dragon narrowed her eyes at the Apocalyptic Beast, who glowered with her red eyes. Issei, on the other hand, remained blissfully oblivious, thinking about the future pool party event.

Suddenly, a large pool of energy erupted from behind the Trihexa, who reacted by scooting closer to Issei, causing her rather large assets to set themselves on the young man's head. Issei didn't react, as he wondered where the pool of vast energy was coming from.

The energy suddenly gained a fluid motion in the bathtub, forming into a tall adult woman with black hair, pale white skin, and dark black emotionless eyes. As she was sitting in the bathtub, the woman didn't bother to dress herself, revealing a rather large chest, and long shapely legs.

Issei widened his eyes as he recognized who the woman was. Ophis narrowed her eyes at the woman.

'This entity. She, no it, is stronger than myself, Baka-Red, and 666 combined. Why is it staring at my mate with a blank look on its face?'

Issei blinked several times at the familiar woman, who gazed upon him with her blank and emotionless stare.

"_I have come to observe you, son of Amaterasu._" the 'Above' stated with a cold monotone voice.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Bedroom<strong>

Despite accepting himself as an awkward person, Issei had never felt so uncomfortable in his life. And even then, he had been in a lot of uncomfortable situations six months ago. The situations and events he had been thrust into were completely out of his control and comfort zone. This moment, triumphed over those past moments.

The Solar God was currently laying on his bed, his head rested comfortably on a soft pillow. He would have been able to fall asleep easily, if not for the fact that there were three extremely powerful entities sitting on his bed with him.

The first entity, was the Ouroboros Dragon, Issei's wife. The Infinite Dragon God was glowering at the recent member in Issei's apartment. Her dark gray eyes burned with a great intensity of hostility. Although she had picked up on some human-like qualities over the past six months, she still harbored the root of jealousy towards anyone who harbored 'desires' for Issei.

The second being, was formerly the most terrifying existence in the supernatural world. 666, also known as the Trihexa, fidgeted a bit as she tried to keep herself still. Over time, the Apocalyptic Beast slowly, but surely began to develop a sane mindset, which gradually lessened her malevolence. However, like Ophis, she too watched over Issei to make sure he wouldn't be taken away.

The last entity, and the almighty being of the Ominverse, was the 'Above'. She/it had taken residence of the house owned by the creature of her interest. Despite being the most omnipotent being whose power dwarfed that of every existence, the 'Above' didn't seem to grasp the concept of...'personal space'. Either that, or it simply didn't care.

Issei assumed it was the latter.

Normally, Issei would be fine about this. If it weren't for the ominous powers emitting from Ophis and 666. Their energies were mutual in their target; the 'Above', who didn't even acknowledge the existence of their powers at all. Her cold black eyes set themselves on Issei, who tried his hardest to avoid her ominous stare.

It wasn't even the fact that all three of the entities were completely stark naked that bothered Issei. No, not at all. He had already become accustomed to Ophis, the Trihexa, and occasionally Lilith sleeping naked beside him. So he wasn't bothered at all that the 'Above' had chosen to lay beside him in her/its naked glory as well.

Looking at Ophis, 666, and then the 'Above', Issei sighed and tried to calm himself and lay his head on his pillow.

"_You seem very uncomfortable, Issei_." The 'Above' noted the object of her interest.

"That is because you are in my mate's personal space." Ophis said with a menacing tone.

"You...too nosy." The Trihexa grumbled.

Issei resisted the urge to respond, as he knew the 'argument' between the three entities would result in something he preferred not to happen if he said the wrong thing. Sighing, he looked up to the blank eyes of the 'Above', and tried to think of something to say.

"You said that you wanted to observe me. But why? Aren't there...any more beings to observe other than me? I mean, I'm really not the most powerful being in this Universe. I'm not exactly a famous guy either."

The 'Above' didn't change her expression at all. Her eyes retained their blankness, and her position remained the same, in which she sat on Issei's bed. She was the only one who was not laying down, as she was too tall to lay comfortably. Compared to the variable heights of Ophis and 666, the 'Above's current form was that of an adult woman who stood at a height of 6'3".

"_I have come to observe you, because you succeeded in gaining my interest. You did not disappoint me, which is something that many of the previous Universes are known for doing. You intrigue me**.**_"

Issei blinked several times at the entity's answer, and he remained quiet. Ophis, however, was a bit suspicious as she glared at the impassive entity.

"You are interested in my mate. By stating this, are you implying that you are an ally?" She asked with genuine wonder, half suspicion.

The 'Above' tilted her head, and she moved her blank gaze to the Ouroboros Dragon.

"_I have no intention of acting as an ally. Nor do I intend on acting as an enemy. I only observe whatever has intrigued me. Your mate has earned my interest, Ouroboros._"

"What will happen once you lose interest in my Issei?"

The 'Above' then moved her emotionless eyes towards Issei, who was really trying hard to (hopefully) fall into a peaceful sleep. Sadly, Ophis and the 'Above' had different plans.

"_That depends if the son of Amaterasu is able to retain his ability to interest me._"

Issei quickly picked up his pillow and placed it over his head, cursing his ability to attract immensely powerful beings for all his worth.

* * *

><p><strong>Kuoh Academy<strong>

It was past the month of November, with December closely passing by. It was the end of the second semester for the students of Kuoh Academy. Despite being in December, the students had one more task to complete in order to pass the second semester.

The semester exam.

However, that moment had already passed by quickly, much to Issei's confusion. The young man picked up the results of his exam, and hummed in satisfactory as he found out that he had passed.

"Hey, new kid! How'd you do on the exam?!"

Issei looked up to see the Perverted Duo themselves, with their exams in their hands. In spite of attending Kuoh Academy in the past six months, Issei was still regarded as the 'new kid' at the school. He had even gained somewhat of a reputation of being the second 'Prince Charming'; with the first title given to Yuuto Kiba.

Over the past six months, Issei had grown into the Prince Charming persona somewhat. While his hair and eye color remained the same, he had grown a bit taller, and had a well-built physique. He had been getting a lot of attention from the students of Kuoh Academy.

"I didn't do too bad." Issei said with a bit of modesty.

He had actually done pretty well, compared to the other students. That isn't to say he was a genius in terms of an expert.

"You're right. Long thing short, we end up getting average scores for these sorts of things." Motohama said.

"You can come to an agreement if we think that it's better than getting a failing marks." Matsuda noted.

Issei rose an eyebrow at the Perverted Duo's remarks, and he put his paper down. He looked around his classroom, noticing that Xuelan and Raynare were not present in Kuoh Academy. Humming in wonder, Issei laid back against his chair, and put his hands behind his head in a resting manner.

Motohama then turned his attention to Matsuda, and fixed his glasses.

"Hey, according to my sources, we're getting a new teacher today. A female."

Issei's hearing picked up at the remark, and he gave the member of the Perverted Duo his undivided attention.

"Oh, really?" Matsuda said in wonder before he smiled lecherously, "Hmm. I wonder how big her oppai will be?!"

The Perverted Duo giggled perversely, prompting Issei to roll his eyes, and focus on something else. While waiting for class to start, Issei closed his eyes in an attempt to get some leftover rest. The people in the classroom were chatting with each other, the room flooded with the deafening amount of noise.

The door opened, silencing the class immediately. The students looked on in interest as their new teacher walked into the classroom. Seconds later, the students of Kuoh Academy felt an ominous pressure in the room.

Issei opened his eyes, and he sat up from his seat in surprise.

'What is she doing here?!'

The students of Kuoh Academy had their eyes widened in surprise at the appearance of the eerie woman. She had long black hair, extremely pale white skin, and blank black eyes that seemed to pierce through the very souls of the students. Not even Matsuda and Motohama, who were fascinated and distracted by the woman's rather large oppai, could avoid the cold stare from their new teacher.

Dressed in a formal attire, the 'Above' faced her new students, and momentarily set her blank gaze towards Issei, who stared back in shock.

"_Issei Hyoudou,_" The 'Above' said in her perpetual unfeeling voice, "_You will see me after class. Is that understood_?"

Issei widened his eyes and looked around his surroundings, noticing that all eyes were on him. Some of the students let out jeers of surprise, assuming that Issei was in trouble with their new teacher.

Noticing that the 'Above' was still staring at him, Issei nodded to her. After doing that, he heard some of his classmates commence in gossip.

"Wait, she knows the new kid?" One of the students whispered.

"How does she know the second Prince Charming?"

"Oooooh! The new kid's in trouble!"

Issei didn't even acknowledge the other students, as he was wondering why the 'Above' was here at his school. As his new teacher.

The 'Above' turned around and picked up a piece of chalk. She lifted her pale hand up to the chalkboard and stopped momentarily. If anyone knew the movements of the 'Above', they would have noticed her tilting her head to the side.

'_Perhaps, this will be a sufficient alias_.'

* * *

><p><strong>Transition: End of Class<strong>

"_Class is over. You are dismissed_."

The students in Issei's classroom hightailed out of the room, wanting to escape their frightening new teacher. Soon after, the only one left in the classroom, was Issei, who felt like an ant in the entity's presence.

Placing her papers down, the 'Above' walked over to Issei, and bent down, leaning her body onto his desk. His eyes rapidly looking around, Issei set his confused gaze on the 'Above', who impassively stared back at him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked curiously.

The 'Above' leaned forward, until her face was almost close to Issei's own. Issei leaned back a little, feeling the violation of his personal space.

"_Did you not hear me? I assumed you understood what I informed you and Ouroboros last night_."

If anyone were to peek through the classroom door window, they would have assumed that a teacher was attempting to somewhat seduce a student who was far younger than her. However, Issei Hyoudou and the 'Above' were not normal beings.

"_I stated that I am here to observe you. Because you have a schedule in which you are not present at your apartment all the time, I have taken it upon myself to observe you closely. By assuming the role of an institutional instructor. While I am here in this educational establishment, I can continue monitoring you_."

If Issei didn't know any better, he would have assumed the 'Above' was stalking him. And when an omnipotent entity that triumphed over even the most powerful of beings, labeled a lower being as its 'precious interest', that lower being really didn't have a choice in the matter.

Issei sighed and rubbed his head tiredly, wondering why this was happening to him. The 'Above' tilted her head to the side, and she leaned forward once more.

"_You seem unsure. Do not worry. I do not intend to disrupt your daily events aside from this_."

"No it's not that. It's just...it feels like you're my bodyguard or something."

"_You are wrong._"

Issei looked up at the entity with wide eyes, and he attempted to maintain eye contact with the 'Above'.

"_As I have stated before. I have no intention of becoming your ally. Nor do I intend to be your enemy. I am merely here to observe your actions, and see how they affect your Universe_."

Issei blinked several times, before he smiled and crossed his arms.

"So, watching me is like watching daytime television, huh?" He said jokingly.

The 'Above' didn't respond to Issei's attempt at a joke. Either she didn't get the joke, or she simply didn't care to acknowledge it. Standing up straight, she puckered out her lips and put her hand in front of them. Blowing out a small amount of energy, the 'Above' flipped her hand out, allowing the energy to manifest into a form of black lips. The black lips then floated over to Issei, and planted themselves on his forehead, disappearing afterwards.

Issei rubbed his forehead in confusion, and looked up at the stoic entity.

"What was that just now?"

"_An expression of my affection in the form of a kiss_."

"..." Issei didn't know what to say.

Blinking once (for the first time as far as Issei was concerned), the 'Above' crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side.

"_When will you be home_?"

Issei thought it over and he put his hand under his chin. Aside from the homework (courtesy of the 'Above'), Issei didn't really have anything else to do.

"Noname-sensei!"

At the call of her alias, the 'Above' turned her attention to see one of Issei's classmates walking in with a lost look on her face.

"_Yes_?"

Breathing heavily, the girl calmed herself to ask her question.

"I was a little distracted by some of the classmates. Anyway, can you please tell me what the assignment was again?" The girl begged.

Issei rose an eyebrow at the entity's alias, but he kept his opinion to himself. Blinking impassively, the 'Above' gave her reply in a robotic like voice.

"_Four three page essays. The topic and font style is of your choice. The four essays are due tomorrow_."

Smiling in relief, the girl bowed and left the classroom, leaving Issei alone with the 'Above'. The omnipotent entity moved her attention to Issei, and uncrossed her arms. Issei remembered what the entity asked him, and he nodded.

"I won't take long. I just want to visit someone."

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

"My little Sun! Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!"

"M-mom?! Hold on a minute!"

Amaterasu; the Shinto Goddess of the Sun and the Universe, was literally glowing with happiness as she ardently and repeatedly kissed her overwrought son on his head and cheeks. She was blissfully excited that her 'little sun' had come to visit her after secluding himself for six months.

Issei winced as he tried to gently and politely get himself out of his mother's grasp. The fact that his mother towered over him, didn't help his attempts to set himself free. Plus, Amaterasu was far too eagerly keen to hug him for as long as she could.

"Oh, my precious baby!" Amaterasu cooed warmly before kissing Issei on his cheek again, "Mama's so happy you came to visit!"

'M-Mama?!'

Giving himself a moment to wipe the look of shock on his face, Issei inwardly sighed.

"Mwah!" Amaterasu kissed Issei on his cheek once more.

"Mom, hold on!" Issei pleaded, unsuccessfully avoiding his mother's kisses of smothering affection.

The Shinto Goddess smiled as she ceased her kisses, but still kept her arms wrapped around her son. Her smile widened as she nuzzled her cheek against Issei's head.

"I missed you so much, my little Issei!"

As she gazed upon her 'little sun', Amaterasu noticed that he had grown a bit. Even though six months had passed, Issei showed that the time caught up to him. He had gained more manly qualities, instead of the soft features he had a long time ago.

"I, uh, I missed you too, Mom." Issei said hesitantly, almost afraid that Amaterasu would try to kiss his cheek again.

"Oh, my little Sun!" Amaterasu cooed excitedly, tightening her hug around her son.

Issei sighed again as he lowered his head down, allowing Amaterasu to sneak another kiss to his cheek.

As his mother was a Goddess of the Sun, Issei expected Amaterasu to at least act regal and mature. Right now, she was acting like an over-affectionate mother who wanted to coo and cuddle with her son indefinitely.

The Solar God didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Apartment<strong>

After escaping the flurry of Amaterasu's persistent kisses, Issei opened the door to his apartment, and his first sight was Ophis, who walked up to him. The Ouroboros Dragon walked towards her mate, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You are late, my darling mate." She said, unknown that she had pulled a rhyme in her words.

Issei smiled bashfully, and kissed Ophis on the lips, in which the Infinite Dragon God hungrily allowed him to do. She didn't show it, but she always liked it when she and Issei engaged in affectionate and physical contact. It brought a warm yet pleasurable feeling within her body.

Releasing his lips from Ophis', Issei pulled back with a smile and rubbed his head.

"Ah, sorry Ophis. I was just visiting Mom. It's been six months after all."

Ophis tilted her head and nodded in understanding.

"I see." She noted before she looked behind herself to see Lilith at the kitchen table.

Issei followed his wife's actions, and smiled wider.

"Hey, Lili- Huh?"

He then saw a large brown bag in front of Lilith, who gazed hungrily at it. Issei rose an eyebrow at Lilith's gaze, and then his eyes widened as he noticed the sly smile on Ophis' face.

Seconds later, the Trihexa walked into the kitchen and sat next to Lilith to gaze at the bag as well. Then, a manifestation of energy formed onto the other kitchen chair, revealing the 'Above'.

"Ophis," Issei began with a suspicious tone, "What's in the bag?"

Ophis' sly smile widened. "What do you think, my darling Issei?" She asked in a teasing voice.

The 'Above' moved her blank gaze to the bag, and then sent her attention to Issei.

"_It is food from a Chinese restaurant_." She said in a monotone.

"Fortune, Cooky." Lilith said.

"?!" Issei gasped.

"It is our dinner." Ophis said as her smile widened pridefully.

At that moment, the Apocalypse Dragon himself appeared in front of the apartment living room, and he smiled mischievously at the couple.

"Sup, bitches." He greeted.

Issei did a double-take as he looked at Ophis, and then back at Great Red with a shocked look on his face.

"Wait! Great Red, you have a rivalry with the Fortune Cooky restaurant too?!"

Great Red only smirked and snatched the bag away from the table.

"Tch. Renegade for life."


	19. Peaceful Times

**Issei's Apartment: Living Room**

"Yo, Issei!"

Removing his attention from his assigned homework, Issei lifted his head at the sound of Great Red's voice.

"What's up?"

"Just out of curiosity, what the hell do humans use to clean themselves?"

Issei stopped in his tracks at the Apocalypse Dragon's words. His shock turned to relief when he found that Great Red was only in the shower, and not in the place Issei assumed him to be.

"There should be a bar of soap nearby!"

"What the hell is soap?"

"It's a red bar made out of animal fat near the shower counter! It should be right next to you!"

"Right next to-never mind! I found it! Animal fat you say? That sounds delicious!"

_CRUNCH_

Issei widened his eyes when he heard the sound of the True Red Dragon God Emperor eating something. He had a feeling something bad was about to happen, and he struggled to avoid walking into his bathroom to see what was wrong.

'No! He didn't! He couldn't have!'

"GAH! What the hell?! This tastes nothing like what you just said, Issei!"

Yep, he did.

"I didn't know you were going to eat it!" Issei yelled in his defense.

"Ugh! Man, it's going to take a long time to get this taste out of my mouth! Thanks a lot!"

Issei shook his head in disbelief and went back to his work. The homework the 'Above' had assigned the class was no doubt a tedious one. Four three page essays.

Yeah, even for an honor student that was too much.

"At least she allowed us to pick a topic of our choice."

"Hey, Ophis!" Great Red shouted out from the bathroom, "Where is my biker suit?!"

Ophis, who was sitting on Issei's lap, rolled her eyes and rested her head on her mate's shoulder.

"Lilith threw it in the trash outside." She said with a tone akin to smugness.

"THAT BITCH!"

Ophis and Issei smiled in amusement, and shared a side glance at each other. Lilith and Great Red still didn't get along, in spite of bonding six months ago. The clone of Ophis adopted the persona of a younger sister that took great pleasure in trolling her older brother.

"Huh. I guess some things never change." Issei remarked.

_RING RING_

Issei blinked once and reached for his cell phone. Looking at the name of the caller, Issei smiled and pressed the answer button. Putting the phone up to his ear, Issei leaned back onto his chair.

"Hey! It's good to hear from you." Issei greeted as his smile widened.

_Fufu. It's been a long time. My dear Ise-itoko._

* * *

><p><strong>Train Station<strong>

Feeling the cool breeze of the night flowing through his hair, Issei crossed his arms as he stood at the train station. He rose an eyebrow as he looked around the area.

Why wouldn't he perform that facial gesture? After all, this very train station was the location where he and Yoru had their first battle.

"They really fixed the station in such a short time." The Solar God noted.

Before he look around more, his sight was suddenly obscured and replaced with darkness. And strangely the scent of flowers had accompanied the darkest sight as well.

"Guess who?" cooed a sweet and familiar voice.

"Hmm. I wonder who it could be?" Issei teased.

Immediately after that he received a light smack on the head, prompting Issei to chuckle. His sight returning, Issei turned around to see a familiar person.

It was a young woman in her mid-twenties with dark brown hair that was worn into a low-ponytail fashion, and warm crimson-ruby eyes. Due to the cold weather, she was wearing a dark-grey turtleneck sweater and jacket to keep herself warm.

"Long time no see, my Ise-itoko." Leiko Hyoudou greeted softly.

"Yeah it has," Issei agreed as he walked with his cousin, "How have you been, Leiko-san?"

"I've been well," Leiko said with a warm smile, "These past six months flew by. How have you been? I've noticed you've been laying low for a long time. Your parents told me you moved here to Tokyo."

Issei rubbed his head bashfully and smiled. "Yeah, I thought it was about time to move to another part of Japan."

"I'm a little surprised, Ise-itoko. Tokyo isn't exactly a small area, and there's a lot of people that reside here. Not to mention that you're practically a celebrity here."

Issei did a double take in surprise, unintentionally providing amusement to his older cousin.

"Wait. I am?"

Leiko rolled her eyes but her smile remained. "Don't you remember? The day you saved those people on the train."

"Oh." Issei said as he scratched his cheek, "I forgot about that. It really has been a while."

The elder Hyoudou shook her head and sighed, albeit with a smile.

"Same old Ise-itoko," She muttered playfully, "So how are Ophis and Great Red? They're not causing any trouble are they?"

Issei chuckled and put his hands up in defense. "No way. You know that Ophis is a good person. Red on the other hand...well he's still the same old, same old."

Leiko chuckled and shook her head again. Over time, she had regarded the strange Dragons as a part of the Hyoudou family, in spite of their abnormal qualities.

Issei widened his eyes as he remembered something.

"Hey, Leiko-san. There's something I wanted to ask you."

Leiko gave her younger cousin her undivided attention, wondering what he wanted to ask.

"...During the past six months," Issei began with great hesitance, "Great Red's been telling me a lot about something called...harems."

Leiko widened her eyes, but she didn't open her mouth at all. What did her innocent cousin just say?

Looking up at Leiko with a curious air about him, Issei tilted his head.

"Leiko-san? What's a harem?"

Every protective instinct Leiko felt for her younger cousin was slowly erupting within her, and she felt the urge to try to get Issei off of the current mindset he had. Inside her head, she was cursing the Apocalypse Dragon for all it was worth.

"I mean," Issei began, oblivious to his older cousin's shock, "He would always say: first the motorcycles...then the bitches."

Scratch that. Leiko was now cursing up a storm towards the True Red Dragon God Emperor for 'tainting' her cousin's mind like this. Although Issei had turned eighteen, Leiko still didn't believe Issei could maintain a 'Unwanted Harem', no matter what the Apocalypse Dragon said.

Noticing his cousin's silence, Issei rose an eyebrow.

"Leiko-san? You all right?"

At the call of her name, Leiko shook her head, her mind back to reality. Her attention set on Issei, the elder Hyoudou gripped her cousin by his shoulders and looked at him frantically.

"I'll tell you when you're older." She said, as though she were saying this to a child version of her cousin.

Issei rose another eyebrow and shrugged. "Why? Is a Harem bad or something?"

It was times like these that Leiko wished her cousin was more aware of the world, and wasn't so damn unaware of social aspects or situations all the time. She certainly didn't want to explain to Issei what a harem was, fearing that he would be delighted to be the center of a group of women's attention.

But then she remembered.

'Ise-itoko doesn't like being the center of attention anyway. He practically hates it! Maybe if I told him what a harem was...he might reject the idea!'

Leiko was starting to feel hope flutter into her heart for just a little. She knew Issei loved Ophis, and vice-versa. Taking a deep breath, Leiko looked her cousin in the eye, and leaned forward so that her mouth was near Issei's ear, and told him what a harem was.

Issei stood frozen in shock as Leiko leaned back. The elder Hyoudou looked worriedly at her cousin, wondering if she had scarred him for life. Shaking his head in order to clear some of his thoughts, Issei gave Leiko a look of disbelief.

"That's what a harem is?"

Leiko nodded, dumbfounded by her younger cousin's reaction. Issei continued to stand still in disbelief, before he shook his head in dismay.

"Maintaining a harem sounds like too much work." Issei finally said, shocking Leiko even further.

Leiko looked around her surroundings, not even sure if she was talking to the same Ise-itoko. When no one popped out to announce the prank, she looked back at her cousin.

"So you're saying you wouldn't want a harem?"

Issei pondered it over, before he shook his head again.

"Honestly, I don't think so." He said seriously, "Besides, I love Ophis. I honestly do. And think about it, how could I possibly love more than one woman? That would make me like some kind of a mimbo or something."

" A mimbo?" Leiko repeated in confusion.

"The male version of a bimbo." Issei defined the term for her.

Leiko blinked several times in wonder. She had to find out what kind of television shows her cousin watched on a daily basis.

"And another thing," Issei began, "If I had a relationship with more than one woman, then where's my free time? I mean, I need some time to myself. Also, I don't want my personal space being treated like a wall that could be broken down easily."

"...Wow. I am completely blown away by what you're saying right now." Leiko said in amazement.

Leiko continued to stare in shock at her cousin's interpretation of his reasons for not wanting a harem. She had to admit, the reasons she stated to Great Red paled in comparison to what Issei was saying. Her cousin really was a strange being.

And that was just how she loved him.

Leiko shook her head to clear her thoughts, and then composed herself.

"Ise-itoko," She began slowly, "What if you were the center of a 'Unwanted Harem'?"

Issei blinked once. Then twice. Then three more times.

"Unwanted?"

"Uh-huh." Leiko said as she nodded.

Issei put his hands behind his back as he thought it over.

"Well, I mean I wouldn't want to hurt whoever the girls are and their feelings. But either way, I would treat them like acquaintances at best. If possible, maybe even friends."

'I cannot believe I am hearing this.' Leiko said in her mind with disbelief.

She then followed up her mental statement by crossing her arms.

"All right then. If Ophis were to allow you to have a harem, would you take it into consideration to maintain one?"

"...I don't really know." Issei said with a bit of hesitance, "Because I love Ophis. If I gave someone else my affection, then wouldn't that be unfair to her?"

Leiko's questioning look was replaced by an expression of gentle worry as she noticed her cousin's growing confusion. It seemed that Issei's lack of social knowledge seemed to be taking its toll on him.

Wanting to change the subject, Leiko adopted a warm smile as she lifted her hand up. She gently clasped her hand against Issei's cheek, earning her younger cousin's attention.

Issei widened his eyes a little, before he relaxed from his cousin's physical contact.

Her crimson eyes softening, Leiko walked closer to her cousin and hugged him tightly. Issei's eyes widened once more, and adopted a surprised expression. He stood stiffly, before he wrapped his arms around his cousin.

"_Chu..."_ Leiko cooed as she planted a small kiss on Issei's cheek, "It's been six whole months. Please. Please don't disappear on me like that again. You hear me?"

"I'm sorry." Issei apologized earnestly, "I'll try to spend some time with you more often. Maybe when I have free time, Ophis, Great Red, you, and I can hang out sometime."

Leiko couldn't help but let her laugh escape, and she hugged her cousin tighter.

"That sounds like fun." She commented.

"The cousins stood out in the breeze, allowing the wind to blow through their hairs.

"I missed you so much, my Ise-itoko."

"...I missed you too, Leiko-san."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Apartment<strong>

Opening the door, Issei walked into his apartment, and his eyes widened at the first sight.

"Wha-"

"Don't even say it." A gruff voice warned him.

Issei couldn't keep his eyes off his brother-in-law. The outfit he was wearing was absolutely ridiculous. He was dressed in what appeared to be in a Hawaiian shirt with khaki shorts and biker boots.

**{The style doesn't even match.}**

'_That's_ the thing you noticed?!' Issei mentally shouted in disbelief to the Red Dragon Emperor.

"What on Earth are you wearing?" The young man asked in disbelief.

"..." The Apocalypse Dragon grumbled something incoherent and looked away.

As usual, he appeared to be in a horrible mood.

"After Ophis told me that Lilith threw out my shirt, and that 666 had thrown out my shorts as well, she found these clothes for me to wear."

**{Kukukuku. Nice shirt, Apocalypse.}**

"You can kiss the crimson part of my ass, Welsh Dragon!" Great Red retaliated in rage.

Issei shook his head and cleared out some distance between himself and his brother-in-law, not wanting him and Ddraig to argue all night.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

Issei lowered his head and sighed. At the very least, he assumed it was Leiko, because as soon as she left him at the train station he could hear her mumbling about giving Great Red a piece of her mind.

Turning around to open the door, Issei looked at the person, and his eyes widened a little.

"Vali?"

Vali Lucifer, the wielder of the Divine Dividing Gear, smirked in a friendly manner at his rival.

"Yo, Issei Hyoudou. It's been a long time."

"Yeah, it has." Issei smiled as he put his hands in his pockets, "What are you doing here?"

The host of Albion crossed his arms before looking over at the glowering Apocalypse Dragon.

"...Nice shirt."

"And there it is!" The True Red Dragon God Emperor shouted out in exasperation, flailing his arms around.

**(Kukukuku. This is fun.)**

**{See, Apocalypse Dragon? Albion agrees as well.}**

"Why don't you idiots go fu-" Great Red tried to counter before he was interrupted by his 'brother-in-law'.

"Wait a minute!" Issei said, trying to keep his apartment in top condition, "Just calm down, you guys!"

It was that moment, the 'Above' entity walked past the Apocalypse Dragon and looked up and down on his physique. Great Red glared at the omnipotent entity, daring her to utter a single word.

"..._Pleasant shirt_."

* * *

><p><em>A howl of anger was heard throughout the area of Tokyo.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Mansion<strong>

"Issei Hyoudou. It's been a while. Six months right?"

"Yeah. It's good to see you, Azazel."

Issei, along with Vali, sat down on the couch from the Fallen Angel known as Azazel.

The Fallen Angel's appearance didn't appear to have any signs of change, so he more or less looked the same.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Issei asked curiously.

"Actually, I don't want to talk about anything just yet. I will eventually though. Vali wants to say something first."

Issei rose an eyebrow and looked questioningly at Vali, who shrugged at him.

"It's been six months, Issei Hyoudou. It's been far too long since I've had a satisfying battle. I've been training for this long, and you of all people should know why I'm telling you this right now."

"You want to fight me and Great Red?" Issei asked.

"No. I just want to fight you." Vali corrected him.

"?!"

Azazel watched the exchange between the hosts of Ddraig and Albion and smiled.

"The two of you certainly deserve to be called the Hakuryuukou and the Sekiryuutei. The _Two Heavenly Dragons_. One a descendant of Lucifer himself, and the other a God born from our Sun itself. You do know that the two of you are above most of the powerful existences that exist in this world?"

Issei and Vali didn't respond. They merely shared a glance and turned their attention to Azazel.

"In terms of overall balance," The Fallen Angel began, "The White Dragon Emperor is superior by several folds. By at certain aspects, there are parts where the Red Dragon Emperor one is superior. In this case, since you, Issei, are Amaterasu's child, you win in terms of simple attack power and constant solar energy regeneration."

Vali smirked as he looked over to Issei.

"Issei. During the battle we had six months ago, I could sense your fight with Yoru. I sensed your power merging with that of the Welsh Dragon and the Yamata-no-Orochi, both creatures that are sealed within your sword, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi as well. I could also hear the chant of your version of the Juggernaut Drive. As Azazel implied, my Empireo Juggernaut Overdrive is difficult to use compared to your crimson and black armor."

Issei widened his eyes slightly as he listened to Vali's words.

Sipping a cup of sake, Azazel continued his side of the conversation.

"Though the so-called Empireo Juggernaut Overdrive is better than the Juggernaut Drive, they both have the same aspect of unleashing the user's potential powers." Azazel began, "In other words, the stress it puts on both your bodies is ridiculously high. Even though you got rid of more risks than the Juggernaut Drive, it's not something you can use consecutively and maintain its form. Hakuryuukou's focus is to being capable of bringing out the necessary power at appropriate time. Well, likewise for the Sekiryuutei."

The Fallen Angel then moved his attention to Issei.

"Issei. The Red Dragon Emperor's ability is to boost and transfer the power of the host, while the White Dragon Emperor's ability is to divide and consume the power."

**(After the souls of Ddraig and I were destroyed, I was sealed into the Sacred Gear wielded by Vali. Since Ddraig was sealed within the sword wielded by the son of Amaterasu, Issei is his first and perhaps only host. As for myself, I retained the ability I had before we had our bodies taken away from us. There wasn't a single time when our lost powers came back.)**

Issei tried to think it over as he pondered.

**{Amaterasu sealed my soul within the sword in order to protect Issei. Even so, I still wield the power I had when I was alive. And with the Yamata-no-Orochi to...keep me company at the time...well, you know how that ended.}**

**[Ssssstupid Ddraig.]** The Orochi hissed back.

Azazel smiled as he crossed his arms.

"It seems that in this generation you two are the most powerful hosts of the Two Heavenly Dragons. How unprecedented."

The rivals remained silent for a while, before the host of the White Dragon Emperor stood up from his seat on the couch. He then sent his light blue eyes over to Issei, who stared back seriously.

"Issei. Did you get invited to the pool party that's going to be hosted in the Underworld?" Vali asked, as though the thought of going to a party bored him.

"Yeah. Why? Are you going to it as well?"

"Yeah. When we get there, I want to spar with you."

Issei smiled. "You want to keep things interesting at a pool party, huh? Hmm. Fine by me."

Smiling, Issei held out his fist to Vali. Looking at his rival for a moment, Vali smirked and bumped his fist to Issei's own, prompting Azazel to smile at the two rivals.

"This'll be one hell of a pool party." The Fallen Angel said in an amused tone.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Bed Room<strong>

Black orbs of sight watched Issei as he slept. Moments after Issei had fallen asleep, the 'Above' arrived in his room to observe him. Although it could have returned to its home in the Omniverse, the entity chose to maintain its residence of the source of its interest.

The 'Above' tilted her head curiously as she listened to Issei's soft breathing. The omnipotent being had no other thought in her mind. As the sole progenitor of everything that existed, the 'Above' was merely an observer. She watched how everything placed out, without any interference. It wasn't merely a conflict of whether it was a dichotomy of good and evil. The entity was simply neutral.

The 'Above' watched from afar, taking note of the actions of every Universe she created. All of the beings she had brought onto creation, had disappointed her so far. For every Universe, there was always failure. The life forms that existed in each particular Universe, were either too weak, simple-minded, or had become detrimental towards each other. In either case, whenever each Universe destroyed itself, the 'Above' would feel an emotion akin to disappointment.

The Universe in which the son of Amaterasu existed, had a much different outcome. The 'Above' felt something stir within its consciousness as it watched Issei, along with the Three Factions, save the world. Moments ago before the climatic battle, the 'Above' had assumed that the son of Amaterasu was going to fail, and therefore disappoint her. However, Issei had done the opposite, and had managed to impress the omnipotent entity.

In spite of this however, the 'Above' could not grasp what she was pondering. Only a single question came to her own consciousness, and it was something she couldn't decipher.

Why did she choose to take residence at Issei Hyoudou's house, when she could just as easily return to her home in the Omniverse? Not to mention the fact that she could observe the son of Amaterasu from the Omniverse, but instead she chose to take residence at his house.

The 'Above' didn't know how to answer this pondering question of hers. Was it an unconscious 'desire' to get close to the source of her interest?

The omnipotent entity narrowed her black eyes as she immediately dismissed the questioning notion. The son of Amaterasu was a lower creature than herself. So why on Earth would she harbor 'feelings' for someone who was a fly compared to her?

Another question embedded itself within the mind of the 'Above'. Why did it chose the form of a woman? By all aspects of reality, the 'Above' was agender. It had no gender at all. Did it choose to take the form of a female in order to appear less frightening when it chose to converse with Issei?

The entity genuinely didn't know what it was feeling at the current moment. Many thoughts were processing through the Above's consciousness. Thoughts so complex that not even the entity could properly keep them in track.

"_Such a peculiar little creature_." The 'Above' noted.

"You are watching my darling Issei sleep. Why are you doing this?"

The 'Above' moved her blank gaze to the Ouroboros Dragon, who was giving her a suspicious glare.

"_Your mate interests me, Ouroboros. He imbues an emotion within me that is unknown to even myself._"

Ophis tilted her head slowly, trying to understand what the 'Above' was saying.

"Do you feel emotions towards my Issei?"

The 'Above' narrowed her blank black eyes and tilted her head.

"_I am unsure. I have never experienced such thoughts before even when I brought forth the motion of existence. The son of Amaterasu is a strange creature. That is why he is unique, and therefore imbues curiosity within me._"

"You are the progenitor of everything that exists within this world," Ophis began, "The entity that is the creator of every being and living creature that exists in each separate Universe. And yet...you are interested in my mate. I, do not understand."

"_I cannot ponder what I am feeling as of now. The emotions I am currently feeling...are unknown to me. However, the 'feelings' that exist within me, are in correlation with your mate._"

Ophis tilted her head again, her view and interpretation of the 'Above' changing ever so variably. Her dark-gray eyes lifted up just slightly, and she looked down at her sleeping mate.

"I, trust you." She said to the 'Above'.

The entity stated tilted her head, her black eyes gaining a darker shade.

"_Trust me? What exactly are you placing your trust upon_?"

"..."

Ophis, making sure not to wake up Issei, quietly climbed into bed with him, and wrapped her arms around him. Cuddling Issei like a teddy bear, Ophis sent her emotionless gaze up to the 'Above', who was looking at the couple with her blank stare.

"I, trust that you will not jeopardize the well-being of my mate." Ophis reiterated.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Morning at the Mall<strong>

"This mall hasn't changed a bit."

"Are you sure about that Ise-itoko? We're not even inside the store yet."

"...Oh, right."

Leiko smiled in amusement as she walked into the mall with her cousin. Earlier, Issei had called and informed her that she was invited to a pool party in the Underworld.

Understandably, Leiko was hesitant, seeing as she wasn't that involved in the supernatural as much as Issei was. However, if her precious Ise-itoko was going to a social event, Leiko wanted to make sure to watch over him.

The cousins looked around quietly, taking care to look for the beach stores so they could purchase their swimming attires. As he and Leiko walked further, Issei stopped when something caught his brown eyes.

Leiko noticed her cousin had paused in his steps, and she turned around to see Issei with his arms crossed. He appeared to be concentrating on something. Leiko rose an eyebrow, wondering what could have captured her younger cousin's attention.

"Ise-itoko, what are you looking at?" Leiko asked as she walked over to him.

When Issei didn't answer, Leiko frowned slightly and followed her cousin's line of sight. In the display window of the store Issei was looking at, was a pair of rocket boots. Just by looking at them, they appeared to be Issei's size.

"Rocket boots?" Leiko asked curiously.

"Yeah," Issei said with a smile, "I didn't know they sold stuff like this at a mall. And it looks like these are the last pair."

"Issei..." Leiko tried to warn her cousin, but to no avail.

Issei, interested in the rocket boots, paid no heed to his cousin's warning, and busted inside the store with excitement. Leiko shook her head, and tapped her foot impatiently. Almost two minutes later, Issei came out with only one rocket shoe, which was placed on his left foot.

"Why do you only have one?"

Issei rubbed his head bashfully. "It turns out that they literally only had one of these left. The rocket shoes on the display are...just for display."

Leiko shook her head and clicked her tongue at her cousin.

"I tried to warn you."

"I know," Issei began as he looked down at his left foot, "Hmm. I wonder how these work?"

"You didn't ask them?"

"I was so excited to get a rocket boot, I guess-"

"Look, Ise-itoko. Be careful. Just go back into the store and ask the manager or whoever, on how to work the shoe."

Issei smiled and shook his head in reassurance. "Don't worry, Leiko-san. I'll be fine. I think I can get the hang of it once I put my mind to it."

"Ise-"

Before Leiko could try to convince her cousin to listen to her, Issei lifted his left foot up and stomped onto the ground. Suddenly, the rocket boot activated itself, causing Issei to float up into the air. However, the boot went haywire and caused Issei to soar throughout the mall.

Trying to prevent himself from getting dizzy, Issei recovered slowly, and widened his eyes. He was about to crash into a store. In any situation, he would have been fine about it. After all, he had survived through crashing into buildings, skyscrapers, and hell, even asteroids in space. If he could live through those, then he could certainly survive crashing into a store.

Oh how wrong he was.

Issei crashed into the nearby store, and let out a piercing scream.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Leiko rushed towards the store, and looked up at the name.

"Cactus Shack?! Why on Earth would they have a cactus store in here?!"

_CRIIIIIING_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Leiko widened her eyes as she spotted a sign on the store window. "Today! Free Razor Blade Give Away?! What the hell kind of store is this?!"

Not wanting to take any chances, Leiko looked to another side of the store window to see the very last sign.

"Home Of The Original Lemon Juice Waterfal-oh, come on!"

_SPLASH_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

From this day forward, Issei vowed that he would never drink lemonade ever again.

* * *

><p><strong>Occult Research Club<strong>

"So is Issei Hyoudou coming to the pool party?"

"He did seem a bit sociable, compared to how he was six months ago. Tsubaki and I both noticed that he seemed to accept the invitation without so much from our persistence."

Rias Gremory smiled as she looked up at her childhood friend, Sona Sitri. The crimson-haired Devil was dressed in a white shirt with red lines spread across. Her wavy crimson hair was set in place away from her eyes.

"It's been a long time since we've heard from him, Sona. He seems to have a habit of keeping to himself. Even after the Three Factions and Issei prevented the world from collapsing, Issei still didn't return to us. Instead, he moved to Tokyo."

"Perhaps he wanted to get away and take a break from the world of the supernatural. After all, it's not like he took it upon himself to blend into our world in the first place."

"Hmm. So you said he's more sociable than ever before?"

Sona smiled at Rias' question.

"Surprisingly yes. He seems like a lot different than he was six months ago."

"Are Ophis and 666 still with him?"

"Yes. Although the Trihexa appears to be tamed to an extent. I still wonder to this day how Issei Hyoudou manages to turn these all-powerful beings to his side."

Rias smiled deviously as she crossed her arms.

"Are you sure it's wonder you're feeling, Sona? Even after everything we've been through, Issei is still our precious kouhai."

The Sitri Devil rolled her eyes. "Our kouhai, you say? I sincerely doubt he follows the standard relationship between class years, Rias."

"Even so." Rias said with a shrug.

"Where are the rest of your members, Rias?"

"They're out shopping for some swimming clothes. Now that you mention it, something happened at the store that was apparently so funny that Akeno tried to contact me. She was laughing so hard that she couldn't even relay the full message to me and ended up hanging the phone."

"What a coincidence. My peerage is at the store as well, and Genshirou tried to contact me. Apparently, the event was so funny that he couldn't breathe."

"Did Saji send you a video?"

"Did Akeno send you one as well?"

"Yes."

"Yes for me as well."

"...Do you want to watch the video with me, Sona?"

"I'd be delighted."

* * *

><p><strong>Five Minutes Later<strong>

If anyone were to walk into the Occult Research Club room, they would have seen the most shocking event in their lives.

Sona Sitri, the strict President of the Student Council, was holding her sides as she doubled over with laughter.

She had always maintained a stoic and cool air about her, never hesitating to put her peerage in place. However, the viral video that had just passed on through the news had managed to break through even Sona's facade.

She had never laughed so hard in her entire life. And Rias Gremory was not faring so well either. Her ribs and side spiraled about in agony, but that only made her laugh harder.

Who would've thought, that the sight of Issei, one of the most powerful beings in the world of the supernatural, crashing into a store would be so damn funny? The master Devils were currently busting their respective guts.

"I-I..." Sona tried to maintain her composure, but she ended up collapsing on the floor in her bout of laughter. This only succeeded in making Rias laugh harder, and she clutched her stomach.

"We-we are so bringing lemonade to the pool party!" Rias said between laughter.

"Oh, absolutely!" Sona agreed.

* * *

><p><strong>Mall - Food Court<strong>

'Ddraig?' Issei contacted the Welsh Dragon telepathically.

**{...}**

'...Ddraig?'

**{Pffffft! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!}**

'...Orochi-chan?'

**[...Heh.]**

Issei inwardly sighed as even the Red Dragon Emperor and the Yamata-no-Orochi were laughing at his predicament. Some friends they were.

"So, what have we learned?" Leiko said with her hands on her hips.

"...Always listen to Cousin Leiko when she's trying to warn you from doing something stupid."

"That's better. Now hold still."

"Ow!"

Leiko tried to gently remove the cactus thorns and razor-sharp blades from her cousin's body. She had found him soaking in a waterfall of lemon juice. Despite it sounding appealing, it was no such way for Issei. When thrown through a cactus plant, then through blades, and then splashed on by lemon juice, a person would have been traumatized by the pain.

Issei however, just wanted to avoid lemonade for the rest of his life.

Leiko rose an eyebrow at her cousin's expression in disbelief, and scoffed.

"Ise-itoko. You should be grateful that the store didn't sue you for all the damage you caused. Apparently, they thought you deserved enough punishment even after the pain you suffered."

"Wait, after? What else happened?"

Sighing, Leiko unhooked her phone from her pants pocket, and showed Issei a video.

_This breaking news, a lone teenager was sent crashing into a store which consisted of cactus plants, lemon juice, and razor-sharp blades. Witnesses say, that before the incident the young man had purchased only one rocket boot from the store opposite to the cactus store._

One of the newscasters smirked as he looked over at his partner.

_Boy I bet he's never going to want to drink lemonade ever again, am I right folks? What a dumb-ass!_

Leiko canceled the voice and looked at her embarrassed cousin. A twitch of her lips indicated that she found the incident funny as hell too.

After all, the chance of a store having cactus plants, razor-sharp blades, and lemon juice all in one area, was something that people wouldn't have even conjured up.

"I guess you're famous for yet another reason." Leiko joked.

Issei just gave her a blank stare and went to get up, before the pain caught up to him, prompting him to sit back down. Leiko clicked her tongue again and went to remove the sharp objects from her cousin's face.

"I can only wonder what Great Red's reaction is going to be." Leiko sighed.

"I want a refund." Issei whined as he crossed his arms, wincing at his own motion.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Apartment: Living Room<strong>

Boy I bet he's never going to want to drink lemonade ever again, am I right folks? What a dumb-ass!

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Oh shit man! L-Lemon juice! Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh, man that shit is priceless!"

Great Red hadn't laughed like this for so long in his entire existence. He was never going to let Issei forget this moment!

* * *

><p><strong>Mall - Clothing Center<strong>

"Fu fu fu fu fu..."

Leiko vainly struggled to suppress her giggling at her cousin's 'lemony' misfortune. The fact that Issei still smelled like lemonade only made it harder for Leiko to stop her lips from twitching. In response to Leiko's quiet snickering, Issei only flashed his older cousin a small pout.

"Please don't laugh at my pain, Leiko-san."

'Fufufu!' Leiko continued her quiet giggling, 'Ise-itoko's so adorable when he's pouting cutely like th-'

Leiko's train of thought immediately stopped in its tracks. Her eyes widened as her cheeks gained a slightly reddish tint. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Leiko walked off ahead, earning a confused look from her younger cousin.

"Leiko-san?" Issei asked before following behind her, "Where are you going?"

Stopping in her pace, Leiko turned to look at her cousin.

"I'm going to pick out a swimsuit." She answered before giving Issei a smile, "You want to come help me pick one?"

Although a little confused on why his older cousin asked him such a question, Issei nodded in assent, earning a wider smile from Leiko.

As Issei followed his older cousin to the swimsuit section of the store, he looked around a bit in curiosity.

**{So curious, partner. You act like you've never been in a store before.}**

'It's not that, Ddraig. It's just that this mall...doesn't exactly bring me good memories.'

**{...Ah. I see.}**

"Ise-itoko. Which one do you think suits me?" Leiko asked, holding up two swimsuits.

The elder Hyoudou looked at the two attires in her hands, and was silent as she waited for Issei to respond. The remaining silence was long enough for Leiko to turn her attention to Issei, who seemed to be staring off into space.

Her expression softening at the thoughtful look on her little cousin's face, Leiko placed the swimsuits back on the racks and sighed.

Issei, still lost in his thoughts, adopted a look of wistfulness on his face. He nearly jumped when he felt a slender arm wrap itself gently around his throat.

"_Chu..._"

The feeling of being chastely kissed on his cheek brought Issei out of his musings, and his eyes widened when he felt his cheek being nuzzled softly. Moving his eyes over, Issei was silent as he watched Leiko nuzzle her cheek against his; the older cousin demonstrating the affection she deeply held towards her younger cousin.

"Leiko-san?" Issei asked in uncertainty.

"Shh..." Leiko gently shushed her cousin as she placed another kiss on his cheek, "_Chu..._"

It had taken a while, but the elder Hyoudou began to understand why Issei had suddenly become a bit melancholy.

"You shouldn't worry so much, Ise-itoko." Leiko said softly, "It's not like what happened six months ago is going to happen again. You know why, right?"

As she stopped nuzzling her cheek against her little cousin, Leiko adopted a warm smile as she felt Issei settle down.

"You're a Super Saiyan now," She said with a loving smile, "So I doubt anyone's going to try and pick a fight with you now."

"It's not me that I'm worried about, Leiko-san." Issei said sadly, prompting Leiko to give him a look of shock.

"You shouldn't say things like that, _Itoko-chan_." Leiko said, her voice adopting a more concerned tone.

"I know," Issei admitted, "But your life and the lives of the others are worth more than mine."

Leiko's eyes widened a bit in surprise, before she inwardly sighed and closed her eyes.

_Ise-itoko..._

"_Chu..._"

Leiko allowed herself to demonstrate another bout of her affection; which consisted of giving her younger cousin another kiss on his cheek. While she normally didn't display this level of fondness towards Issei in front of other people, Leiko could make an exception.

After all, a younger male cousin belonged to his older female cousin.

...Right?

* * *

><p><strong>Outside Issei's Apartment<strong>

"How much money did you get back, Ise-itoko?" Leiko asked.

Issei, with the cactus spikes and razor-sharp blades all off of him, counted his fingers. Leiko's nose twitched as she smelled traces of lemon juice from her cousin. As far as she knew, Great Red was never going to let Issei forget this moment.

Giving up his counting, Issei picked up his swimming bag, and sighed.

"Enough money to buy my swimming trunks." He said with a tired voice.

Trying to prevent herself from chuckling, Leiko kissed her lemon-scented cousin on the cheek and smiled at him.

"Make sure you take a bath. I don't want a lemon-scented cousin at the pool party."

Staring blankly at his laughing cousin, Issei turned around and opened the door to his apartment.

As he closed behind him, Issei looked up and widened his eyes at his first sight. Standing right in front of him, was the 'Above' entity. She was dressed in a maid's outfit that accentuated her voluptuous hips and well-endowed chest, with a headpiece that contrasted against her deep black hair and eyes.

Issei stared wide-eyed at the sight in front of him. Before he could speak however, the 'Above' lifted her hand up, and a manifestation of energy appeared within her palm. Issei's eyes widened further when a glass filled with a golden liquid appeared in the omnipotent entity's hand.

"_When life gives you lemons_," The 'Above' stated in her emotionless voice, "_Make lemonade_."

Issei had never screamed so loud in his life.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Bathtub<strong>

Ophis' nose twitched as she could still smell lemon juice on her mate's body. Unlike Great Red and the rest of the supernatural (and surprisingly the 'Above'), the Ouroboros Dragon was genuinely concerned about her mate.

Pressing her rather large breasts against Issei, the Infinite Dragon God washed her mate's back. Issei looked at his wife softly, and his eyes closed.

"Thanks Ophis."

The Ouroboros Dragon smiled warmly and pressed her body against Issei. "You are welcome, my darling Issei."

* * *

><p><strong>Pool Party at the Underworld<strong>

A huge crowd of Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels chattered amongst themselves as they swam in the pool. Some familiar supernatural creatures also attended.

Serafall, clad in a magenta swimsuit, excitedly served the drinks, while her younger sister, who appeared to be snickering ever so softly, handed out food. Rias and the rest of her peerage were sitting on the ledge of the pool, with the crimson-haired Devil snorting uncharacteristically.

As he looked around the crowd of supernatural creatures, Vali Lucifer frowned and crossed his arms. He was never the one to 'party' in times of peace. The only reason he had attended the pool party at all was because Issei was attending as well.

Looking around his surroundings, Vali widened his eyes when he spotted his rival, his cousin, and the trio of the powerful existences. Issei was clad in blue swim shorts, Ophis was dressed in a black one-piece, 666 (or Hex-chan as Issei dubbed her) was dressed in a crimson swimsuit, and Great Red was clad in swimming trunks with motorcycles as a depiction. Leiko on the other hand, wore a plain swimsuit.

Spotting the Vanishing Dragon, Issei looked over to his rival, and nodded to him. Vali nodded back to him, and smiled.

Issei noticed that Vali was the only one who was not dressed in a swimming attire.

'I guess he really wants to fight me,' Issei noted as he smiled, 'That figures.'

Vali's lips twitched as he smirked.

'A fight with Issei Hyoudou. Perfect! Just the opportunity I've been waiting for to prove my true abilities!'


	20. Peaceful Times: Second Half

"Man! The food in the Underworld is incredible!"

"Issei! We're out of pasta!"

"Oh. Excuse me, more spaghetti please!"

"And bring some more egg rolls while you're at it!"

Leiko looked on in amazement as she watched Issei, Great Red, and Vali scarf down the vast quantities of food that was placed on the table. She had never seen her cousin eat like this before. It was a good thing his body generated solar energy, or else he would have been a bit heavier.

"Ise-itoko, slow down a little. You don't want to get a cramp before you get into the pool." Leiko tried to warn her younger cousin.

She then paused and blinked two times before narrowing her eyes.

"Let me revise what I just said. You don't want to get a cramp before you get into the pool _or_ get into a fight."

Issei stopped in his eating and smiled at his older cousin bashfully. "Oh. You heard about my fight with Vali, huh?"

Leiko's response was a disapproving glare, prompting her cousin to shift his eyes. Finishing his bowl of ramen, Great Red rolled his golden eyes and scoffed at the only human at the pool party.

"Would you stop babbling? In spite of what you might believe, we Dragons are famous for our appetite and stamina. Because we're so powerful, the nutrition we require is much greater than the likes of you humans."

"But doesn't eating too much food disrupt your overall performance?" Leiko asked in genuine curiosity and disbelief.

"On the contrary," Vali began as he bit into a drumstick, "Eating actually enhances our battle capabilities."

"But you guys are skinny." said Leiko, dumbstruck.

**(We Dragons possess an accelerated rate of metabolism. This allows us and our potential hosts to sustain a muscular and durable physique no matter how much food is consumed.)**

**{What Albion said.}**

"...So Ise-itoko will never gain weight or anything?"

**{Exactly.}**

At Ddraig's answer, Leiko turned around to see Ophis, Lilith, and 666 eating some sweets. Her mouth twitched upwards into a smile as she watched Lilith and the Trihexa fighting over the last cookie. Already predicting who was going to win, Leiko chuckled a bit.

"Who wanted egg rolls and pasta?" A cheerful voice sang out.

Issei, Vali, Great Red, and Leiko turned around to see Serafall Leviathan holding a plate of pasta and another plate of egg rolls.

"The host of Albion wanted egg rolls, and I wanted some pasta." Great Red answered the Maou.

"Coming right up." Serafall said cheerfully.

As she placed the plates down, Serafall smiled and hugged Issei from behind, causing the young man to almost choke on his bowl of ramen.

"ACK!"

"Ise-chan!" Serafall said as she winked playfully, "It's been so long since I've seen such a cute face! And it looks like you've gotten a lot taller too! I wonder what the rest of you looks like!"

**{...Partner, you lucky bastard.}**

**(More like unlucky bastard.)**

**{Don't be a hater, Albion.}**

Giggling teasingly, Serafall planted a sweet kiss on the silent Issei's cheek and strolled off to bother her younger sister, who had dropped her glass of lemonade in shock. She certainly didn't expect Serafall to act like that towards someone who was far younger than her.

The younger Sitri cautiously looked over to the Ouroboros Dragon, who looked relatively calm. Although Sona could've sworn that there wasn't a crack in the table where Ophis, Lilith, and 666 sat a second ago.

Recovering from Serafall's unexpected kiss, Issei shook his head and hesitantly went back to eating. Although there wasn't a blush on his face, anyone could tell that Issei was uncomfortable in his current situation. He still wasn't a master in social situations, regardless of the six month period he had gone through.

Great Red, Vali, and Leiko shared uneasy glances with each other. Well, at least Leiko tried to. The Apocalypse Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon immediately went back to eating, the sight of Issei and Serafall's interaction completely forgotten.

Looking back at her cousin, Leiko pointed to her cheek, and stuttered. "Ise-itoko. You have a red mark on your face."

Picking up a napkin, Issei went to rub the kiss mark off of his cheek, until a cheerful voice rang out to him.

"Ise-chan! I wouldn't do that if I were you! If you wipe off my special kiss, I'll just kiss you again!" Serafall sang out.

**{Such a bold Devil. You better hope Ophis doesn't lose control.}**

_CRASH_

Issei widened his eyes and caught the sight of his wife twitching her eyes ever so slightly. Smoke cleared in front of the Infinite Dragon God, the place where the table formerly laid. Aside from Ophis, it appeared that Lilith and 666 (their fight over the cookie long forgotten) were also glowering at the Maou.

Following Ddraig's warning, Issei went to placate his wife. Leiko sighed and went to sit down until she felt someone pull on her swimsuit. Blinking several times, Leiko looked down to see that it was Lilith.

"Lilith?"

Ophis' clone tilted her head in a childish manner, and pointed to the pool. Leiko followed her direction and widened her eyes.

"You want to go swim with me?" Leiko asked.

The Dragon nodded in response and took Leiko's hand, dragging the human with her. As Issei went to calm his wife down, Genshirou Saji made his appearance known.

"Hey, Newby! Can we talk for a minute?"

Issei rubbed the Ouroboros Dragon's head gently, prompting Ophis to calm down just a little.

"You all right, Ophis?"

The Infinite Dragon God nodded slowly, and lifted her finger to Issei's cheek. Very slowly, a spark of black energy latched onto Issei's cheek, eliminating the traces of Serafall's kiss. Smiling in satisfaction, Ophis claimed Issei's lips, and smirked.

"Converse with the host of Vritra, my darling mate."

* * *

><p><strong>Sitri Residence: Game Room<strong>

"Huh. Looks like I won, Saji-san."

"That's bullshit! You don't even know how to play Scramble Flag!"

Frowning slightly, Saji sighed and looked at Issei seriously. Issei noticed his first friend's gaze and rose an eyebrow.

"What's the matter?"

"Newby. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure..."

Saji took a deep breath and suddenly gripped Issei by the shoulders.

"Newby. You and I are friends, right?! Right?!"

"...Sure." Issei answered hesitantly.

What was Saji going on about?

"Then answer me this? How the hell do you keep getting all these women around you?"

Issei blinked once. Then twice. Then three more times.

"What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean what am I talking about?! I'm talking about being able to convert Ophis and 666 to your side! How the hell did you do this?!"

"Well I-"

"Never mind that what I just asked!" Saji interrupted his friend, "How does it feel to be married to a Dragon God?"

Issei smiled and gave Sona's pawn a thumbs up. "It's pretty great! Ophis and I are in a good relationship, and we're practically inseparable."

However, Issei's happiness didn't seem to sit too well with Saji.

"Damn it! I will curse yoooou~! I will curse you with Vritra's cuuuurse~! The only progress I made was going to the cinema with Kaichou! On top of that we watched it together with other group members! When on earth did this gap between us happen?! Like I thought, is it the gap between a Dragon-King and a Heavenly Dragon?!"

"...What are you talking about?"

He had no idea what the hell Saji was talking about. Was he unknowingly in some kind of competition with the host of Vritra?

"Isn't it obvious, Newby? While you seem to be successful at attracting powerful beings, I barely succeed in trying to get a girlfriend! It's your fault, damn it!"

**{This boy has problems.}**

'Ddraig! Don't talk about Saji-san like that!'

**{Oh hush, partner! You were thinking it too!}**

Before Issei could argue further with the Red Dragon Emperor, a familiar strict voice made itself known.

"Saji, what are you shouting about? I heard you from all the way outside. Quiet down."

Issei and Saji looked up to see Sona and Tsubaki.

"K-Kaichou." Saji stuttered as he stood up straight.

Sona sent her violet eyes over to Issei, and she smiled slightly.

"Ara, Ise-kun. I'm glad you could make it. Might I ask what you're doing in my house?"

Issei looked over to Saji, who seemed to be shaking with suppressed rage. It would have been funny if Saji didn't look so pouty.

"Saji-san invited me in the house to play a board game."

"I see. There's nothing much here, so I don't mind you hanging around in my house."

Saji's body started to shiver and his face gained a serious look. He then put his arm around Issei's neck and whispered into his ear.

"Yoooooou! What's with this "Ise-kun" from Kaichou?! What is the meaning of this, Newby?!"

**{You're on your own partner.}**

"Oh Issei-kun! It's been so long!"

Issei and the rest of the Devils turned around to see a familiar woman with curly blonde hair.

"Gabriel-san?!" Issei and Saji stuttered.

Smiling warmly, Gabriel practically threw Saji off of Issei and enveloped Issei into a tight hug. The son of Amaterasu struggled to breathe as his face was pressed against Gabriel's breasts. Smiling wider, Gabriel planted an angelic kiss on Issei's forehead. Immediately after this, Gabriel's Angel wings began to darken to a black color.

**{Hmm.}**

'What is it?' Issei asked in his mind.

**{The Seraph's wings are darkening to a black color.}**

'So?'

**{Well when that happens, it usually means an Angel is developing...impure thoughts.}**

'...'

**{Damn. Not only are Devils susceptible to you, but apparently you can also make an Angel potentially fall. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. Partner, you are one lucky bastard.}**

Releasing her lips from Issei's forehead, Gabriel pulled back as her smile widened. Her wings returned to their original white shine, and she giggled.

"Fufu. Issei-kun felt so soft and warm! It almost feels like I might get a bit addicted to the touch!"

Saji's eyes twitched as he tried to calm himself. First, Ophis, 666, Serafall, and now Gabriel?!

'How many women are attracted to Newby?! Are there any more that I'm missing?!'

"WHAT! THE! HELL! NEWBY?!"

"Saji...you don't have to yell." Tsubaki said as she winced.

"I've think I've got a damn good reason to!" Saji countered.

* * *

><p><strong>Back at the Pool Party<strong>

"So both Serafall and Gabriel gave you kisses? You really are something, aren't you Issei Hyoudou?"

Issei sighed as he continued to play cards with Azazel. Unlike most of the members of the Three Factions, Azazel was dressed in his normal attire.

"You say that like it's a good thing, Azazel."

"Isn't it though?"

"...Got any sixes?"

Azazel huffed and put down a card in front of Issei, and the young man took it with a smile of satisfaction. The Fallen Angel widened his eyes slightly when he noticed a red aura glowing on Issei's hand. Issei noticed it as well and smiled.

"Ddraig and Orochi-chan must be arguing again." He said with a mirthless grin.

"...Issei. There's something I need to talk to you about. I need to talk to you about your life force."

Issei widened his eyes at the topic. His life force?

"What is there to talk about?"

"When you died in your battle against Susanoo and met the personification of Death itself, Death allowed you to keep your soul. However, the constant regeneration of solar energy prevents you from actually 'dying'. The response of your life force either becomes zero or turns into infinite, which isn't measurable is happening, so I can't tell what is going on at all. The zero probably represents the 'death' aspect of yourself. The infinite obviously means your solar energy output, which derives from our very Sun."

Issei blinked several times in confusion.

"Does that mean my life force is going back and forth between dying and reviving?"

"Even that isn't known. There has never been a case like this. The current you is a being created out of the flesh of Amaterasu and the energies of our Primordial Sun. Except, there is a way to stabilize it. Rather, there has been result. You understand that yourself, right?

"Anyway, I'm not sure what will happen with the response of zero and infinite. Suddenly, your life force can become empty and it can even overheat by increasing drastically. In other words, having the Sun's vast energy bringing back your life force to normal is the best."

Issei remained quiet and looked down at his hand, the crimson glow fading away entirely. Azazel noticed this, and his smile seemed to falter.

"Take care of the legendary Welsh Dragon, okay? As well as the Yamata-no-Orochi. You do know that they are legendary creatures, right?"

The young man nodded seriously at the Fallen Angel, who smiled back and crossed his arms.

"Oh, before I forget. Vali is getting impatient. It seems he wants to eagerly fight you."

"Really?" Issei asked with wide eyes.

"Why of course. After all, he hasn't had a rival for over six months. You disappeared on us, Issei Hyoudou."

"So what has Vali been doing for the past six months?"

"Well, Vali was searching for a variety of brutal monsters. Knowing him, his journey was to find strong foes in order to train and exceed his expectations."

**{Humph. Sounds like something Albion would do.}**

Azazel chuckled as he heard Ddraig's statement.

"Dragons that have strength like to go around wild were eliminated without exception. I prefer a Dragon to stand tall and with dignity like old man Tannin. He seems like a Dragon-King, and I think he looks cool."

**{Meh. Tannin's not that special.}**

'I thought you two were best friends.'

**{Please, partner. That's like saying Albion and I are best friends.}**

'Aren't you now?'

**{...}**

Issei waited for the Welsh Dragon to speak, and blinked several times when Ddraig didn't respond.

* * *

><p><strong>Sitri Residence : Mixed Bath<strong>

Issei sighed as he walked into the mixed-bath changing room. He had realized that he hadn't even gone into the pool yet, so he decided to bathe before hand. As he walked forward he noticed a familiar person. He immediately recognized the straight black hair and pale white body.

The woman noticed the treading footsteps and she quickly turned around to look at Issei with ominous and emotionless black eyes. Issei widened his eyes at the 'Above' entity, who remained still.

"What are you doing here?" Issei asked in genuine shock.

The 'Above' tilted her head and crossed her arms over her large chest.

"_I arrived at this location to observe your presence_."

"...Were you in this bath the whole time this event was going on?"

"_Yes_."

"And no one saw you?"

"_I can will lower beings to perceive my presence if I so desire_."

Issei blinked several times in confusion and shook his head. The 'Above' entity really was stalking him. Before he could react, the 'Above' suddenly grabbed his hand and dragged him with her into the sitting room.

As he sat down next to the omnipotent entity, Issei felt only confusion within his mind.

"U-Umm, what are we doing?"

"_Is it not obvious? We are taking a bath together._" The 'Above' stated in a monotone voice.

"Huh?"

For some reason Issei didn't feel safe with the 'Above' in a mixed bath area.

"Wait! Hold on a minut-" Issei said as he went to sit up.

Or he would have had the 'Above' not grab his hand again and sat him in front of her.

"_You have not washed your body yet. That is the reason you arrived at this location, is it not?_"

**{She's got you there.}**

"Well, yeah. But-"

"_Then I shall wash your back for you._"

The 'Above' rubbed Issei's back with a towel gently, ignoring how Issei uncomfortable was. Issei remained silent as he could practically feel the entity's black eyes boring onto his soul.

**{You know what I'm going to say, partner.}**

'Yeah, yeah I know.'

Seconds later, the 'Above' removed the towel from Issei's back, and turned him around to face her. As Issei waited for his vision to clear, the 'Above' suddenly brought her body closer to Issei and went to reach for his cheek.

"_You are a very peculiar being, son of Amaterasu. You are foolish, and yet you are also interesting._"

Issei didn't know what to say. The 'Above' continued to stroke his cheek, and leaned forward to plant a chilling kiss on Issei's cheek. Issei couldn't help but wince at the icy-cold feeling, and he felt a bit relieved when the 'Above' pulled back and put her hands on her lap.

**{Ouroboros is going to be mad about this situation.}**

"_The Ouroboros Dragon has placed her trust upon me. Therefore, she has granted permission for me to share you with her._"

Issei blinked once. Then twice. Then three more times. Before he could turn around to exit the room, a woman with long silver hair and matching colored eyes entered the room.

The woman looked up and noticed Issei. She tilted her head slightly.

"Ara, Issei Hyoudou, is it? I didn't know that a young man was in here. I was careless for not checking inside here before entering."

The young man rose an eyebrow in confusion. Who was this woman?

"Excuse me, but who are you?"

The woman smiled gently and put her hand on her chest.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Grayfia Lucifuge, Sirzechs-sama's wife."

"..."

Grayfia smiled at Issei's silence, and chuckled a bit in amusement.

"Fufu. Well this is surprising. The only men to have seen me naked are Sirzechs and you. And you're such a handsome young man as well."

**{Damn you, partner! Damn you to hell!}**

'...I'm already in hell, Ddraig.'

* * *

><p><strong>Pool Party<strong>

Issei sighed as he walked away from the mixed-bath room. He left Grayfia alone to bathe herself. As he looked around his surroundings, he noticed Vali standing near the food table. The Vanishing Dragon was giving him a serious stare, and Issei knew exactly why.

'He must be really excited.'

**{Kukukuku. I can sense Albion's eagerness. It's been a long time since we've fought.}**

"Are you ready, Issei Hyoudou?" Vali asked as he crossed his arms.

Issei smiled confidently and nodded. "Ready when you are, Vali."

The two rivals nodded to each other and transmitted away. Standing next to the food court, were Ophis, 666, and Great Red. Smiling widely, the Apocalypse Dragon looked over at his sister.

"This'll be fun."

Ophis smiled slyly as a pool of black energy manifested around her.

"Indeed. My darling mate shall fare against the Vanishing Dragon."

666 tilted her head curiously, but she didn't say anything. Seconds later, she, Ophis, and Great Red transmitted away from the pool party, leaving Leiko at the table.

The only human at the pool party looked around curiously, wondering what she could do while she was in the presence of the supernatural.

"What the hell can I do in Hell?" Leiko mused.

* * *

><p><strong>Arena of the Underworld<strong>

Issei and Vali reappeared in an arena. Staring at his rival, Vali crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"Do you want to go through a warm-up?"

Issei shrugged in response. "Whatever works I guess."

Vali nodded and smirked. As he and Issei prepared themselves for the start of their battle, they stopped when they suddenly sensed a prodigious power. Vali almost felt himself lose consciousness by the enormous power surge. Issei, on the other hand, didn't seem to be fazed at all, since he was used to the power already.

Wondering where the power was coming from, Vali looked up and his eyes widened. Floating above him and Issei, was an adult woman with long black hair, black eyes, and pale skin. Vali trembled at the power the woman was emitting.

**(Vali? Are you all right?)**

'I'm fine, Albion. But this power! It's almost making me faint! I...I have to fight this woman!'

**(Normally, I would agree with you, Vali. But this time I would advise you to reconsider.)**

Ignoring the Vanishing Dragon, Vali turned his attention to Issei.

"Issei Hyoudou. Our battle is postponed for the time being. Something has just come up."

Issei widened his eyes when he spotted the 'Above' entity gazing down at him and Vali. He then looked towards Vali, and his eyes widened further.

'No! Vali's not thinking of trying to fight her, is he?'

**{Knowing the host of Albion, I wouldn't put it past him.}**

"Vali, wait! Get back here!" Issei tried to warn his rival.

Vali however, didn't heed to Issei's warning, and soared towards the 'Above' Entity, who stood motionless. Issei could only stare in shock at the scene before him. He sincerely hoped that the 'Above' wouldn't do anything to hurt Vali.

...Would she?

**{Humph. Poor bastard.}**

"Wait, Vali! Get back here! I know you can hear me!"

Issei silently cursed as he rose up into the air and transmitted away. Seconds later, he reappeared in front of the 'Above' entity, blocking her from the pacing Vali. Glaring at his rival, Vali slowed down in his pace.

"What do you think you're doing, Issei?!"

Issei frowned as he pointed to the host of the Vanishing Dragon.

"What do you think I'm doing?! I'm trying to save your life! I'm telling you, you don't want to fight this woman!"

"And why the hell not?"

**{Vali Lucifer. As much as I don't care about what happens to Albion-}**

**(Hey!)**

**{I would advise you to listen to my host's warning. The being standing behind him is an entity that possesses power far beyond your comprehension. Even if Albion and I were unsealed, we would never be able to fare against her.}**

**(And just what are you implying, Ddraig? You don't think I could handle this being?!)**

**{You just told your host to be cautious, Albion!}**

**(It's what I usually do before Vali is about to fight someone who's far stronger than him. Gotta give him some warning once in a while.)**

"_Such a strange routine for a Heavenly Dragon_."

Issei and Vali looked up at the 'Above' entity, who stared down at the former with her usual emotionless gaze.

**(Hey! Who asked you!)**

**{Albion! Would you just pipe down?! Although it's rarely often, my host is right this time! You do not want Vali to fight this entity!}**

**(And I appreciate your 'concern', Ddraig. But I'm confident that Vali will be able to push on through his limit.}**

"No disrespect Albion," Issei said as he placed his arms out to the side, "But I really don't want Vali to get hurt."

It was true. Issei considered Vali a friendly rival of sorts. Despite not wanting to hurt Vali's pride, Issei desperately wanted Vali to reconsider his plan at this point. But that wasn't the only thing Issei was worried about. He was also worried about what the 'Above' might do.

The entity had already claimed that she/it was neither an ally or an enemy to Issei. She was just a bystander that observed everything around her surroundings. Not to mention that it was completely useless to predict the next outcome of an omnipotent entity.

Would the 'Above' simply float motionless in her position? Or would she oblige Vali's wish and engage in a battle with him? Issei genuinely hoped the 'Above' would perform the former.

**(Host of Ddraig, I would appreciate it if you would not interfere at this moment. If Vali wants to fight someone, what gives you the right to prevent him from doing so?)**

Issei narrowed his eyes, wishing he could actually look at the Vanishing Dragon so he could get his point across.

"Look! I know I don't have a right to, but you don't think I care about Vali at all?! If I didn't I would let him fight the woman behind me, no question! But I do! Even though I really don't follow the usual trend, I do consider Vali to be my friend and rival! If he gets hurt, then it will only be his fault! But I would feel even worse if I didn't attempt to stop him!"

Unbeknownst to the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon, a ring of black energy began to envelop from under them. Three larger rings suddenly separated from the black rings in concentric formation, and started to surround Issei, Vali, and the 'Above'.

"Issei Hyoudou," Vali began as he crossed his arms, "I don't need your protection! I've told you that I've always wanted to find stronger beings to fight."

"I understand that, Vali. I really do," Issei said with a frown, "But please trust me. It's not worth it to fight h-"

Issei was suddenly cut off when the 'Above' entity abruptly enveloped him into her arms. Issei grunted as he was almost suffocated by her chest. Vali rose an eyebrow at the scene, wondering what on Earth the entity was doing.

Keeping a grip hold on Issei, the 'Above' turned her emotionless gaze on the Vanishing Dragon and narrowed her cold black eyes.

"_If you wish to fight me, then I will be content to oblige_."

Issei widened his eyes at the entity's statement, and he looked down as he spotted a large ring spiraling upwards towards Vali. Suddenly, a small ring manifested and began to close itself around Vali's neck.

The host of Ddraig widened his eyes further, and freed himself of the entity's grasp.

"Vali! Look out!"

At his rival's warning, Vali went to remove the ring from around his neck, until the ring suddenly reverberated with power, and released a massive shock-wave.

_**{WELSH SOLAR DRAGON OVERBOOSTER!}**_

_**(VANISHING DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER!)**_

The Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon flared out their auras in an attempt to spare themselves from the explosion. A crimson-black pool of energy formed around Issei, and melded itself into a shiny black Dragon armor with crimson jewels. Vali's body was also embedded within a silver armor with blue jewels.

The three rings below them suddenly grew larger, and exploded into a great impact. The force of the gigantic energy rings from the 'Above' was so colossal that it caused a large crater within the ground and released another shock-wave. The 'Above' remained motionless, unaffected by her own attack.

The arena of the Underworld erupted from the great shock-wave, causing the ground and area surrounding the arena to disintegrate from the intensity.

* * *

><p><strong>10 Minutes Later<strong>

The arena of the Underworld was in absolute ruins. The damage it was subject to was far more potent that of all the Rating Games in the society of the Devils. What was the left of the ground was a huge crater, with the aura of the energy rings affecting the arena.

Laying at the bottom of the crater, were none other than Issei and Vali, who were both unconscious. The massive energy caused by the 'Above' was so powerful that it broke the armors of the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon.

Brown eyes struggled to open, and they fluttered slightly before opening widely. The first sight Issei saw was a pair of very large breasts. As he moved his face away from the large assets, he spotted pale skin and long black hair. Lastly, was the cold and unfeeling familiar green eyes that bore into his very soul.

Wait...green eyes?

His vision quickly returning, Issei looked up and his eyes widened. The 'Above' was sitting on him, her rather thick thighs planting themselves comfortably on his legs. Her appearance more or less remained the same, however, her skin was a lot less pale, almost peach-like. Her black hair retained its dark shade. Her eyes, however, were now a dark green color, with irises and pupils included.

"_You are finally awake, my precious interest_."

Momentarily caught off guard by the entity's 'pet name' for him, Issei shook his head and rubbed his sore head. "Oiii," He groaned out, "My aching everything."

The young man widened his eyes further as he searched into the deep recesses of his mind.

'Ddraig! Orochi-chan! Are you all right?'

**[Is Issssei all right?]**

**{We're fine, partner. Where is Albion and his host?}**

Issei jumped up in surprise and looked around searchingly for his rival. The 'Above' noticed this motion, and slowly pointed to another direction. Issei followed the entity's direction, and he widened his eyes.

"Vali!"

At the call of his name, the host of the Vanishing Dragon painfully opened his light blue eyes. His body aching from the pain, Vali sat up and looked at his rival and the 'Above' in shock.

"Wh-what the hell did you do?!" He asked in disbelief.

The 'Above' merely stared at the Vanishing Dragon, and turned her position around so that her backside was facing Issei.

**{Hmm. Such thick thighs. Her ass isn't too bad either.}**

'DDRAIG! This is not the time to think about that!' Issei scolded the Welsh Dragon.

**{Oh come on, partner! You have to admit, her ass is pretty big. Probably the same size as Ophis'. In her current form anyway.}**

'Ddraig! I swear to God...'

**{You don't have to swear, my host. She, or it, is sitting right on top of you. Kukukuku.}**

_SLAP_

**{Ouch!}**

**[Ssssssstupid Welsh Dragon.]**

Her newly acquired green eyes remaining narrowed as usual, the 'Above' blinked.

"_You persisted in your desire to fight me, host of the Vanishing Dragon. Since you had no intention in listening to the warning of my precious interest-_"

Issei and Vali blinked several times at the entity's 'pet name' for the former.

**{Precious interest? Hmm, that must be the entity's term of endearment for you, partner.}**

"_I obliged to your request and demonstrated a portion of my power. Had the son of Amaterasu failed to save you, you would have been destroyed from existence and sent into the realm of non-existence_."

"Vali didn't know what to say.

**{Do you see, Albion? My host saved both of your asses! You owe him now!}**

**(I owe him no such thing! Vali could've defended himself!)**

**{Bullshit! I'm looking at your host right now, and he looks like the time when Great Red and my host used him as a volleyball in our first battle!}**

**(You just had to bring that up, didn't you?!)**

**{Of course I did! And look, Vali is still bleeding!}**

**(J-just a flesh wound!)**

**{Oh piss off!}**

Vali narrowed his eyes and attempted to lift himself up. However, he collapsed on his knees the moment they almost gained balance. Grunting at the pain, the host of Albion looked at the 'Above' entity in irritation.

"How much power did you put into that shock-wave attack?"

The entity sat motionless on Issei, her stone-cold face never-changing. When it appeared that she wasn't going to answer his host, Albion went for the initiative.

**(I can sense your power. But I cannot determine an exact level of how much power you possess. What on Earth are you?)**

The 'Above' Entity still didn't reply.

Issei blinked several times and he shook his head. Widening his eyes, Issei went to hesitantly speak up.

"H-hey."

The 'Above' slowly turned her head around, her green eyes boring themselves onto Issei. Hopeful that the entity would at least answer him, Issei prepared his question.

"What happened to your appearance?" He asked in genuine curiosity. "It wasn't like this before you used your power."

"..._I can manipulate my shape and form whenever I so desire. However, when a portion of my power is used, my appearance alters. This is the form I chose._"

Vali rose an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Issei Hyoudou. Why is it that every time you meet a genderless being, they automatically take the form of a female?"

"I don't-"

**{I've got a better question, host of Albion. Right before our battle was going to begin, you immediately blew off my host to fight the being who is sitting right on top of him.}**

"So?" Vali said.

**{So?! What kind of bastard does that?! You were so eager to fight my host! Hell, the whole reason you came to the pool party at all was because you and Albion wanted to fight us! But as soon as you saw this entity, you completely discarded my host like he was an unworthy opponent!}**

**(...I can't believe I'm saying this but Ddraig's right, Vali. We were foolish to discard him and Issei Hyoudou like that. And as it turns out, Ddraig's host was right in his attempt to protect us. The entity sitting on him is far more powerful than I had anticipated. Her strength is incalculable, and far surpasses that of Ophis, and dare I say it, the Great Red and the Trihexa's strength.)**

Vali was speechless.

The hollow crater of the Underworld was silent, the tension slowly growing awkward. Turning herself around so that Issei could see the front of her body, the 'Above' Entity lifted her hand up and placed it on Issei's head. Her emotionless expression unchanging, the entity rubbed Issei's hair gently.

"_You have intrigued me once again, my precious interest._"

**{How has he done so?}**

"_Despite_ _my attempt to shield him from my attack, he freed himself and went to save the Vanishing Dragon. You truly are a peculiar being, Issei_."

"Damn! If I wanted to, I would have caused more damage than this on a good day!"

At the sound of the familiar gruff voice, Issei and Vali looked up to see the massive frame of the Apocalypse Dragon himself. Accompanying him on top of his scales, were none other than Ophis, Lilith, and the Trihexa.

"Ophis..." Issei said tiredly.

Flying away from the Great Red, Ophis reappeared next to her mate and wrapped her arms around him. Narrowing her dark-gray eyes at the 'Above', Ophis set her lips into a flat line.

"You did not have to give in to the Vanishing Dragon's wish," She chided, "By doing so, you placed potential harm upon my darling mate."

The 'Above' stared back passively.

"_It was not my intention to harm my precious interest. He took it upon himself to save the Vanishing Dragon._"

Ophis' eyes noticeably narrowed again.

"Precious interest?"

**{Do I sense the beginning of a cat fight?}**

'Ddraig, don't even start!' Issei warned.

**(Hmm. Interesting. This is something I would also like to see.)**

'...Please tell me you're joking, Albion.' Vali thought with a disapproving glare.

**(I never joke, Vali.)**

Looking at the damage, the Apocalypse Dragon landed on the crater with a thud. While Great Red looked around curiously, the Trihexa floated down next to Issei and tilted her head.

"Is Issei ok?" She asked quietly.

Before Issei could answer her, he suddenly sensed a large number of power levels. Looking up, he widened his eyes as he noticed a group of familiar people. Rias, Sona, the rest of their peerages, Serafall, Gabriel, Azazel, and Leiko arrived above the crater, and looked down.

The supernatural creatures and human all had wide eyes as they sensed an overwhelming amount of power from the woman sitting on top of Issei.

"Ise-itoko?!" Leiko's voice echoed throughout the crater.

"Ise-chan?!" Serafall shouted out in concern.

"Issei-kun?! What's going on down there?" Gabriel asked worriedly.

Making sure to prevent himself from falling down into the crater, Saji looked downwards, and his eyes widened as he looked at who was sitting on top of Issei.

"You've got to be kidding," Saji said quietly before erupting, "NEWBY! WHAT THE HELL?!"

Moving her stoic green eyes to the host of Ddraig, the 'Above' removed her hand from Issei's hair.

"_The host of Vritra seems to be angry with you._" She noted.

'I can only imagine why.'

"Why are you still sitting on my mate?" Ophis asked the 'Above' menacingly.

The entity moved her gaze to the Ouroboros Dragon, and said in a voice that could have been mistaken as a challenging tone.

"_He is comfortable to sit on._"

**(...Cat fight, Ddraig?)**

**{Oh, maliciously!}**

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

**- The second/current form of the 'Above' is based on the appearance of Ayaka Kagari from Witchcraft Works.**


	21. Vanishing Dragon Power is Taken!

As with most men, the prospect of two women fighting excited them to no end. Women who fought over men tended to appeal to the man's ego. The man would become excited at the fact that his very being was the subject for the women's controversy.

Issei Hyoudou, however, was not one of those men. He didn't want Ophis and the 'Above' to fight at all. He also didn't want them to fight over him, especially since he was a 'lower being' compared to these powerful beings.

However, since Issei was still reeling from the shockwave attack the 'Above' had inflicted on Vali, he couldn't exactly move. Even if that was the case, Issei couldn't move anyway, for he was trapped within a double embrace.

The young man was trapped between the Ouroboros Dragon and the 'Above' entity, preventing him from escaping. If that wasn't enough, the Infinite Dragon God's large breasts pressed against Issei's back while the 'Above' entity's seemingly larger chest pressed against Issei's face, suffocating him entirely.

**{You feeling all right, partner?}**

'...'

**{Ah, rendered silent I see. Damn, partner. You really are a lucky bastard. Most men would kill to be in your situation right now.}**

'What sane man would want to be suffocated between two women and their breasts?!'

**{...You'd be surprised, partner.}**

Vali, the Three Factions, Rias and Sona's peerages, and Leiko looked on in shock and confusion at the scene before them. Great Red was also curious, wondering what the hell his sister and the omnipotent entity were doing to Issei. 666, tilting her head, purred confusedly, her red eyes wide with curiosity.

"...What the hell are they doing?" Leiko finally let out.

"I-I think...they're having a contest or something." Rias tried to stutter out her words.

"A contest which consists of..." Tsubaki attempted to finish her sentence.

"Trying to get Issei to determine whose breasts are bigger," Azazel guessed with a lecherous smile on his face, "Issei Hyoudou, you are one lucky bastard."

Hearing what the Fallen Angel had just uttered out, Leiko narrowed her eyes and stormed over to Azazel.

"What the hell did you just say about my Ise-itoko?! He's lucky?!"

Azazel sent Issei's cousin an amused smile.

"Of course he is. Breasts are the best. I should know. I am a Fallen Angel after all." He bragged.

"You say it like that's something to be proud about. And how do you know that is what they are actually doing?" Leiko scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Geez, you don't have to be a hater, cousin of Issei Hyoudou." Azazel said as he picked at his ear.

Listening to Leiko and Azazel's 'conversation', Vali looked at his trapped rival, and didn't know whether to help him, or simply maintain his observation.

**(The host of Ddraig looks as though he is not enjoying this.)**

'I can tell, Albion. If I know Issei Hyoudou, he's someone who doesn't like getting his personal space violated. Ophis and...this entity are currently doing that. It's like they're not even paying attention to Issei.'

**(Well, Ouroboros is clearly glaring at the entity, while the entity is just...staring at her.)**

Ophis glowered at the 'Above', who simply stared back at her impassively. The Ouroboros Dragon was not happy at all towards the entity who was currently suffocating Issei with those sizable breasts of hers. The 'Above' had almost risked Issei's life by giving in to Albion and Vali's goading.

The 'Above', while not expressing it, had begun to feel a bit of 'emotion' erupt within its consciousness. It had not intended to allow Issei to get injured by its shock wave attack. That was why it held Issei in a vice grip when it summoned its attack onto the host of the Vanishing Dragon. It did not want the host of Ddraig to get caught into the blast.

Placing her hands on Issei's cheeks, the 'Above' moved Issei away from her chest and looked down at him with her stoic and emotionless green eyes.

"_It was not my intention to harm you, my precious interest_." The 'Above' stated.

Ophis noticeably bristled at the entity's term of 'endearment' for Issei. The only thing preventing her from attacking the 'Above' was in fact Issei, since he was in the center of their little physical contact.

"_I wonder,_" The 'Above' began before nearing her face dangerously closer to Issei, "_If you are able to forgive me._"

Issei stood still in shock as he could feel the entity's (surprisingly) warm breath upon him. Her warm breath greatly contrasted to her cold and emotionless green eyes. The 'Above' slowly brought her face closer to Issei's own, and almost made a motion of puckering out her lips.

Ophis noticed this motion, and with a dark look on her face, she placed her hand on Issei's shoulder. Seconds later, Issei disappeared from their sight, just before the 'Above' could place her lips upon the young man.

Opening her stoic green eyes, the 'Above' placed her hands to her side and stared at the Ouroboros Dragon, who glowered darkly at her.

"You dare to place your lips on my mate..." She uttered dangerously.

The 'Above' didn't even flinch at the Infinite Dragon God's tone. Within its consciousness, the entity deduced that it had offended the Ouroboros Dragon. Even so, it wasn't its intention to do so. It was merely expressing its own variation of affection towards its 'precious interest'.

A blackish aura surrounded Ophis, its intensity burning the crater of the Underworld around her. The dwellers of the supernatural noticed this as well, and they looked around their surroundings.

"We should get out of here." Azazel suggested, not willing to hear any disapproval.

"Are they seriously fighting over Newby?" Saji asked in disbelief.

"Is that really what's on your mind right now?" Leiko asked in the same tone.

Turning her head around, Ophis set her dark-gray eyes over to Great Red, Lilith, and 666. Narrowing her eyes at the Apocalypse Dragon, Ophis tilted her head.

"Baka-Red. Do you know where I sent my Issei?"

"Where else?" The True Red Dragon God Emperor said sarcastically.

"...Take Lilith, Trihexa...and cousin Leiko with you. Take Leiko to her home as well." She ordered, making sure to put emphasis on the mention of her cousin-in-law.

"...All right. Come on you guys."

Great Red's body glowed with dark crimson energy as he, Lilith, and 666 disappeared from sight. Before Leiko could react, she was suddenly transmitted away as well. Noticing this, the Three Factions and the peerages transmitted away from the Underworld. Vali, who had been watching the manifested auras of the powerful beings, scoffed and transmitted to where Great Red had gone to, hoping to see how Issei was.

The 'Above' tilted her head and stared at the Ouroboros Dragon. Ophis was far too angry to be reasoned with, seeing as the entity had unintentionally crossed a line. But the 'Above' didn't expect anything less.

After all, Dragons were known for being selfish and acted as they so desired. Since Ophis had claimed Issei as its mate, its affection and selfishness to keep Issei for itself was to rise sooner or later.

Narrowing her dark-gray eyes, Ophis placed her hands in front of her and generated a spiraling, black energy sphere with a sphere shaped like the Ouroboros symbol in the middle. The sphere grew to a giant size, almost triple the size of Ophis herself.

Her expression unchanging, the 'Above' lifted her right hand in front of her and manifested a grayish energy sphere away from her palm.

The two powerful beings summoned their attacks simultaneously, their collision causing the literal Underworld to break apart. The crater seemed to be growing hollow than before. Neither of the beings show any emotion at all, their focus completely on pinpointing for the other's weakness.

The energy sphere collision suddenly canceled out, causing a bright flash to disintegrate the remains of the arena. The light faded, revealing Ophis and the 'Above' shooting energy blasts towards each other. For every energy blast the other sent, the other completely missed them, or either avoided it.

Blowing some hair out of her line of sight, Ophis rose her hand up, allowing a black luminescent sphere of energy to embed itself within her palm. Below the 'Above', an aura of ghastly energy began to surround her. Seconds later, Ophis opened her hand and released a black-gray explosive wave that engulfed the 'Above'.

Ophis looked up and her eyes narrowed when the area around her began to emit a gray aura. The aura then condensed into a small sphere that closed around her, and she was suddenly engulfed into a giant explosion that erupted from under her.

The Underworld was slowly falling apart from the attacks from the powerful beings. As the smoke cleared about, the Underworld was slowly disintegrating.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

The area of the Underworld was not the only location that was shaking from the power struggle. Great Red had a moody expression on his face as he grumbled. Even though it would have been fun to see his sister fight a powerful entity, the Apocalypse Dragon still had to agree to Ophis' wishes.

666 and Lilith on the other hand, were sleeping on top of his scales, completely oblivious to the dimension-shattering battle. Well, 666 was sleeping. Lilith could not sleep, due to the fact that she could see and feel what her original did.

Narrowing his golden eyes, Great Red looked towards Issei, who was floating still in the Dimensional Gap.

"...You all right, Issei?" He asked worriedly.

Issei was still for a moment, until moments later he gave the Apocalypse Dragon his attention.

"I didn't want this to happen, Great Red," The young man said, "I don't want anyone to get hurt, especially Ophis and the Noname."

Great Red rose an eyebrow. "Noname?"

"...That's what the entity called herself when she came to my school."

"...Noname. Oh, I get it. No name."

**{Took you long enough.}**

"Kiss my ass, Welsh Dragon." Great Red countered in an annoyed tone.

"Yeah, it's actually pronounced no, then na, and then me." Issei clarified.

"So you've recovered, Issei Hyoudou."

Issei and Great Red turned to see Vali Lucifer floating towards them. He was in the armor of the Vanishing Dragon, seeing as no one could survive in the Dimensional Gap without magical protection.

"Vali," Issei began as he crossed his arms, "You doing all right?"

"Don't belittle me, Issei. I'll live."

**{...Albion? Don't you have something to say to my host?}**

**(And just what are you implying, Ddraig?)**

**{Don't play bullshit with me! You owe my host a thank you. Remember he saved both you and Vali! It's like 'Noname' explained, if Issei hadn't gone to save your ass, you both would've ceased to exist. And I'm not talking about just passing into Death's Domain.}**

**(...)**

**{You should also apologize.}**

**(...I'm not apologizing.)**

"Look," Issei began with a tired sigh, "This isn't something we need to talk about now. There's something else we need to talk about. Ophis and Noname."

Vali rose an eyebrow in confusion. "Noname?"

**{The entity fighting Ouroboros.}**

"...Oh, of course." Vali deduced.

**{Just like the Apocalypse Dragon, it took you long enough.}**

**(Go to hell, Ddraig.)**

**{Already there, Albion. Already there. In fact, we were all just there a couple of moments ago.}**

"Anyway," Issei emphasized, "We gotta figure out how to calm Ophis and Noname down."

"Well they're obviously fighting over you, Issei." Great Red stated with a scoff, "So you gotta make a strategy on how to placate them."

"But how?" Issei asked.

"...Jewel."

At the childish yet familiar voice, Issei and Vali looked up to see Lilith floating towards the former.

"Lilith?" Issei asked in confusion.

"I, will help Issei by placating my Original." She said in her childish voice.

"And just how do you propose to do that?" Vali asked in curiosity.

Tilting her head, Lilith lifted her hand up, and a sapphire pool of energy suddenly formed into her hand. Issei and Vali widened their eyes when they spotted the familiar jewel.

"The jewel of Albion!" They said simultaneously.

**{Hmm. That's right. I'd forgotten that Ophis had originally kept an eye on it. So naturally, Lilith would keep it safe as well.}**

**(What the hell are you doing with my jewel?!)**

**{Oh piss off, Albion! Think about it. This could be your compensation towards my host for saving your ass!}**

**(You take that back, Ddraig!)**

Lilith slowly placed the jewel of the Vanishing Dragon into Issei's hand. Issei looked at the artifact curiously, and then his eyes widened as he thought of something.

'...Would it work? Should I test it? I know the combined armor of Ddraig and Orochi-chan doesn't have Sacred Gear qualities, but...maybe, just maybe it could work.'

"Ddraig. If you're in my Inner World, then you and Orochi-chan know exactly what I'm thinking."

**{...Are you willing to take the risk, partner?}**

**[Be careful Issssssei.]**

Issei nodded, and allowed the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi to manifest into his hand.

_**{[YAMATA WELSH SOLAR DRAGON OVERBOOSTER!]}**_

The familiar Black Armor with crimson jewels covered Issei, the jewels glistening within the Dimensional Gap.

**{Partner, you've conjured up quite a dangerous resolve. But, it is interesting no doubt. I am the Red Dragon Emperor that was called a mass of power. If I can call myself that, then even the poisonous power of Albion will not faze me in the slightest!}**

**(...I do not owe the boy anything, Ddraig.)**

**{Not after this transition, you won't.}**

"What are you intending to do, Issei Hyoudou?" Vali asked with a bit of interest.

Issei smiled at his rival, and smashed the crimson jewel of the Red Dragon Emperor into shattered pieces.

"I'm combining the power of Albion with Ddraig!" Issei declared before he drove the Vanishing Dragon jewel into the space.

Immediately after, an indescribable amount of pain began to overwhelm Issei's senses. A bright silver aura sprang forth from his right hand and wrapped around the right side of the black armor.

Vali, Great Red, Lilith, and the now awakened 666 looked on in curiosity as they watched the change of the armor of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

"My power...it combined with the Welsh Dragon!" Vali said in shock.

**(Ddraig, you idiot! You of all people should know that we are existences that oppose each other! Why are you allowing your host to do this?!)**

**{Oh come on, Albion! Did you really expect anything less? Issei Hyoudou is indeed a strange host. In spite of that, he's my first and only carrier. A landlord of sorts.}**

**(You are challenging destiny, Ddraig. Even if our respective hosts are different, the way we fight is the same. You raise power, I steal and absorb power.)**

**{Well then perhaps my host is making a difference!}**

_**{Vanishing Dragon Power is taken!}**_

The white light dazzling around Issei's right hand formed into a bright silver gauntlet. The blue jewel embedded within the gauntlet glistened. Issei looked on in surprise at how the white gauntlet contrasted so much with his black armor.

**{Kukukuku. You did it, partner. I must say, you almost frightened me.}**

**(This...this can't be! No one knows what will happen with the fusion of opposing powers. When that is something concerning Dragons, you might die, you know? No, it would be natural for you to die.)**

**{Don't be a fool, Albion. So long as our primordial Sun continues to exist, then my host shall exist as well.}**

**(...U-unbelievable.)**

Great Red whistled at the appearance of the white gear on his brother-in-law's right arm. Even he had to admit, the contrast between the gauntlet and the black armor brought a good touch.

"Impressive," The Apocalypse Dragon drawled out, "Now the question is just how are you going to use that power?"

Issei looked up in surprise, and he looked over to Vali. The host of the Vanishing Dragon rose an eyebrow at his rival.

"Vali," Issei began, "I need your help. To teach me how to use the effects of your Sacred Gear."

**(And why should my host help you?)**

**{Albion, shut your dumb-ass up! You and your host owe Issei!}**

**(...Curse you, Ddraig.)**

**{Hate you too, Albion.}**

* * *

><p><strong>Remains of the Arena in the Underworld<strong>

Ophis lifted her hands up in the air and charged a dark-blue energy bomb that enlarged as the Ouroboros Dragon put more power into it. The energy bomb sparked with silver energy bolts of lightning, enhancing the attack.

The 'Above' placed her arms out to the side and created two medium-size flaming energy spheres in her hands. Slowly bringing them above her head, the entity combined her spheres into one vast gray energy bomb.

The area around them began to disintegrate into nothingness, due to the colossal energy being emitted. Narrowing her eyes, Ophis sent her attack, and the 'Above' delivered her energy bomb as well.

_**{HALF DIMENSION!}**_

Before the energy bombs could collide, they suddenly decreased to a smaller size, causing them to cancel out almost immediately.

Ophis widened her eyes slightly as she heard the call. The voice clearly belonged to Ddraig's, but the call didn't. The Ouroboros Dragon looked up to see a figure in black armor with crimson jewels. On the figure's right hand was a white gauntlet with blue jewels that greatly contrasted against the black gauntlet with crimson jewels.

"...My Issei!"

The 'Above' didn't show any facial reaction, instead choosing to tilt her head.

'_My precious interest has absorbed the power of the Vanishing Dragon. How...intriguing._'

Floating towards Ophis and the 'Above', Issei removed the headpiece of his armor, and sighed as he felt the traces of Albion's power. He looked around the decimated remains of the Underworld.

**{...Partner?}**

For some reason, Issei felt extremely tired. What was going on?

**[Issssssssei?]**

**{It must be Albion's jewel interfering with my power. Partner, you need to rest for a moment.}**

If Issei could, he would've attempted to acknowledge Ddraig's concern. However, his consciousness began to fade, until he tumbled downwards towards the ground.

"Issei!" Ophis shouted, her voice almost rising.

The Ouroboros Dragon transmitted away and reappeared just in time to catch her mate. Her dark-gray eyes searched worryingly onto Issei, wondering what was wrong with her precious mate. The 'Above' stood where she was, her face showing no change. However, not even the entity could ignore the flow of 'emotion' erupting within her conscious.

Gazing worriedly at Issei, Ophis sent her attention to the 'Above'. The two shared a mutual glance and looked around their surroundings. Lifting her hand up, the 'Above' manifested a pool of energy and snapped her fingers.

Seconds later, the appearance of the Underworld suddenly reanimated, becoming whole and complete once again.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Apartment: Bedroom<strong>

Ophis and the 'Above' sat on Issei's bed and watched the young man sweat profusely. The Ouroboros Dragon tilted her head and scooted closer to her mate, while the 'Above' remained in her spot.

"..._I apologize_."

Ophis moved her attention to the entity, and lifted her dark-gray eyes slightly. The 'Above' was apologizing to her?

"I, do not understand."

"_It was not my intention to offend you by attempting to lock my lips with Issei. I merely wanted him to forgive me for placing him in danger._"

The Infinite Dragon God rose an eyebrow.

"By attempting to kiss him?"

"..._I wanted to experience the sensation of a kiss. Your mate is someone I am interested in. So I marked him as the logical choice_."

"..."

"..."

The beings shared a mutual silence, and as they pondered, they could not determine how to define their relationship. Looking back at her mate, Ophis attempted to sense Issei's energy.

"When Albion's jewel merged with the armor of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, it granted my Issei the powers and capabilities of the Vanishing Dragon."

"_The powers of the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon are complete opposites,_" The 'Above' explained, "_Perhaps that is why my...our precious Issei is reacting negatively to the power surge_."

Ophis tilted her head again. "His Solar Energy is altering itself to endure against the power of Albion."

"_This will be interesting_." The 'Above' stated as she crossed her arms.

* * *

><p><strong>The Occult Research Club<strong>

"Goddamn it Newby!"

"Saji, this is not the time to think about whatever you're venting on about."

"But Kaichou-"

"I won't say it again, Saji."

Rias, Sona, Akeno, Tsubaki, and Saji stood in the Occult Research Clubroom. The Three Factions, as well as the rest of Rias and Sona's peerages returned to the Underworld to see if any damage was intact.

"...Who was that woman sitting on top of our kouhai?" Rias mused in curiosity.

"Whoever she was," Tsubaki began as she crossed her arms, "Her power far exceeded that of Ophis, Trihexa, and Great Red. But...it was always assumed that Dragons were the strongest beings in existence."

"Hmm," Akeno hummed, "Maybe she's not even from here."

"What do you mean?" Sona asked.

"Well I mean, she could probably be from another dimension or something. When I sensed her power I felt as though I was going to fade from existence. If we had stayed in the Underworld any longer, I would have collapsed."

"Then why was she near Issei? Is she someone we can trust? Does she have an interest in him?" Rias asked.

"It's likely. She probably likes Newby." Saji muttered in disdain.

"Saji," Sona narrowed her eyes, "I doubt that is the case. From what I could observe, the woman appeared to be far more emotionless than Ophis. And that's saying something."

"Well Kaichou, I have to disagree. I mean think about it. Ever since we've known Newby, a whole number of powerful beings have drawn to him. There's Ophis, the freaking Great Red, the Yamata-no-Orochi, and the Trihexa. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that woman likes Issei as much as Ophis does."

"What are you saying, Saji?" Tsubaki rose an eyebrow.

"I'm saying that the woman might be on Newby's side now. There's something about Issei that allows him to attract these all-powerful beings. The only thing is, I don't know how Newby does this."

"I highly doubt Issei Hyoudou does this on purpose Saji," Sona commented as her violet eyes narrowed, "Remember, he was never one to engage in social situations. The only verbal contact he has enrolled in, is with the Ouroboros Dragon, the Apocalypse Dragon, and the Trihexa."

"Well now it looks like Issei is talking to yet another primordial being." Rias began with an eyebrow raise, "But Ophis doesn't seem to like her."

"Ara, ara. Ophis is possessive over our little kouhai, after all." Akeno smiled.

"Well Dragons are naturally selfish, so it should really be no surprise." Tsubaki said.

"It's so predictable," Rias frowned, "As soon as a girl even talks with Issei, the Infinite Dragon God blows off her gasket. It's no wonder why she doesn't like the Three Factions."

Sona, Tsubaki, Akeno, and Saji rose eyebrows in confusion. Rias noticed this and widened her eyes.

"What?"

"What do you mean 'the Three Factions', Rias?" Sona asked.

"I'm saying that Ophis doesn't like the Three Factions spending time with him."

"...That isn't the case, Rias." Tsubaki said.

"What are you talking about?' The crimson-haired Devil asked.

"Rias," Sona began with an oddly sympathetic tone, "She doesn't like you."

"..."

"Ophis hates you." The Sitri Devil elaborated further.

Rias blinked several times with wide eyes. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish.

"O-Ophis hates me?" Rias stuttered.

"Hates you." Tsubaki emphasized.

"But...why?" The Gremory Devil asked in disbelief.

If Rias' shock wasn't enough, Sona had the audacity to summon a magic circle. The circle then morphed into a list that trailed all the way to the door of the club room. Ignoring Rias' indignant gasps, Sona quietly handed the paper over to Tsubaki. The Shinra Devil fixed her glasses and with a reluctant look, she read the list.

"According to this list, you're fickle, devious, scheming, impish, manipulative, an unrestrained exhibitionist, an unrepentant tease-"

"You having fun there, Tsubaki?" Rias asked menacingly.

The Gremory Devil widened her eyes in surprise when Tsubaki's brown eyes glinted. The Shinra Devil suddenly smiled and locked eye contact with Rias.

"Would you believe me if I said no?"

"Ugh!" Rias scoffed in disgust.

"Fufufu. Ara, ara. Buchou looks so embarrassed." Akeno teased.

"Don't push it, Akeno." Rias warned.

"...Kaichou, shall I continue reading?" Tsubaki asked Sona, already knowing the answer.

"Please do Tsubaki," Sona said with a smirk. "And mind you Rias, we're still on the first line."

"Oh, shut up! There's got to be a bad list about you guys too!"

"Of course there are," Tsubaki's smile widened to an amused smirk. "But as it just so happens Rias, your list is the longest."

"...You're bluffing."

"Want me to keep reading the list?" Tsubaki challenged.

"..."

_KNOCK KNOCK_

"Oh thank god. Ow! Come in!" Rias winced as she held her head.

The door to the Occult Research Clubroom opened, revealing two familiar figures. One of them was a young woman with black hair wrapped in Chinese-style buns, and bright blue-green eyes. She was dressed in a blue qiapo, white sash around her stomach, and black, low-heeled shoes.

The second figure was a tall young woman with long black hair with a dark blue tint and brown eyes. She was dressed in a white top with black accents that is modeled after a Chinese cheongsam, red shorts, and armored, knee-high boots with matching gauntlets. On her back, was a giant Zweihänder.

Rias and the rest of the Devils widened their eyes at the young women.

"It's been a while since we've seen you two." Sona began as she crossed her arms, "What brings you to Kuoh Academy?"

Xuelan, Riser Phenex's former Rook, placed her hand on her hip and frowned softly.

"Do any of you know where Issei-sama is?"

"We need to discuss something important with him." Siris, Riser's former Knight, answered as she crossed her arms.

As soon as Saji heard the respective honorific added to Issei's name, he went to open his mouth in indignant rage.

"Don't you dare." Tsubaki warned, the rare humor she recently acquired vanishing in an instant.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Apartment: Bedroom<strong>

"My Issei is peaceful when he sleeps." Ophis said in her usual monotone.

Ophis and the 'Above' entity watched Issei rest upon his bed. The strain of melding Albion's power with Ddraig was apparently enough to affect Issei's energy consumption.

"_His Solar Energy is unstable. As well as his life force._" The 'Above' stated, "_At the moment his life force is receding to the level to non-existence._"

"The fusion of Ddraig and Albion's power is consuming my mate's Solar Energy. I, am sure there is a way to stabilize my darling Issei's draconian energy."

The Ouroboros Dragon slowly got off the bed and stood in front of it. Closing her dark-gray eyes, Ophis removed her clothes, with the exception of her Gothic Lolita headpiece. Getting back on the bed, she crawled over to Issei, and pressed her body to him.

The Infinite Dragon God suppressed the pleasurable moan at the physical contact she made with her mate. Seconds later, Ophis' body began to glow with energy, which transferred over to Issei.

The 'Above' tilted her head to the side. Very slowly, she got up from the bed and took off her clothes. In contrast to her original form, the entity's second form seemed to be more well-endowed.

As she held her mate tighter, Ophis looked up at the naked appearance of the 'Above'.

"You are going to stabilize my Issei's base energy. Why do you do this?"

The 'Above' stared back at the Ouroboros Dragon with her unemotional green eyes and crawled onto the bed.

"..._Because he is my precious interest,_" The 'Above' said as she hugged Issei against her body, "_And I cannot allow anything to happen to a being that has earned my interest._"

The Ouroboros Dragon tilted her head again.

"You are the progenitor of every living thing that exists. In reality...you are the true God."

"..._The God from the Bible and I are completely different entities. We are not one and the same. There is neither correlation nor relation between us_."

"I, am aware of that. I, was merely stating that you are the genuine God. And you have become protective of my mate, just like I have."

"_That is correct_."

"Does this mean...that you are an ally?"

"..."

It was silent in Issei's bedroom, the energies of Ophis and the 'Above' stabilizing Issei's own. Ophis stared at the true God, anticipating on what the entity's answer was going to be.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

The Inner World of Issei Hyoudou was deathly quiet. The two residents of the young man's subconscious were making no sounds. The sky was dark blue, with the clouds gaining a darker shade. The skyscrapers and buildings seemed to be descending as well.

The Welsh Dragon and the Yamata-no-Orochi stood quietly, looking at the motionless being who wielded the sword they were sealed in.

Ddraig looked upon his sleeping host with concern. He knew that Issei had taken a great risk in combining Albion's power with his own. The Welsh Dragon didn't want to admit it, but the Vanishing Dragon was correct in his doubts. It was unknown of what would happen if the powers of the Two Heavenly Dragons were to meld together.

**[Isssssei.]**

Ddraig looked down to see the Yamata-no-Orochi rubbing Issei's head gently. The Orochi was concerned for Issei, that much Ddraig could tell. After all, she was the one who told Issei to be careful before he created the transfer, which resulted in the 'Dividing Gear', the gauntlet on Issei's right arm.

The Red Dragon Emperor assumed that the reason Issei had survived the transfer of power was because of the Sun. If it wasn't for that, Issei would have probably descended into Death's Domain once more, and then another situation would have occurred. And Ddraig knew, that wouldn't have sat too well with Ophis or the 'Above' entity.

**{Partner, you followed Lilith's advice to use the power of Albion for a reason right?}**

Ddraig vaguely knew that Issei wasn't going to answer, but he continued to converse with his sleeping host.

**{You wanted to prevent Ouroboros and the entity from destroying everything around them. As a matter of fact, you didn't want either of them to get hurt, especially because they were fighting over you. A lower being.}**

The Welsh Dragon's green eyes seemed to lower for a moment.

**{Truth be told partner, you're not a lower being. Granted...you're nowhere near the level of power of Ouroboros, Apocalypse, the Trihexa, and the Omniversal Entity. But you're not a lower being. Not even close.}**

Even though Issei could not hear him, Ddraig still continued his speech. The Welsh Dragon felt what he was preaching really had to be said. Although his host was sleeping, the Yamata-no-Orochi wasn't, and she gave the Welsh Dragon her full attention.

**{Believe it or not, you're on a whole different scale of beings, partner. Especially when it comes to the entities you've interacted with.}**

The Yamata-no-Orochi tilted her head at the revelation regarding Issei. Ddraig's green eyes seemed to lift up slightly.

The Red Dragon Emperor remembered the day Amaterasu birthed Issei from her flesh and the energy of the Sun. It was initially Issei's power that drew attention from the world of the supernatural.

**{It's puzzling, Issei. Even though you aren't a Dragon, you seem to have the qualities of one. You see partner, we Dragons are known for our power. We intentionally, and sometimes unintentionally attract followers and opponents. So in reality my host, you are not that different from us Dragons.}**

...

**{Ouroboros...is a being that you were somehow able to change, partner. To this day, I don't know how you did it. Not a clue. Ophis was born from absolute nothingness. Nothingness was all it cared about. So how on Earth were you able to change Ouroboros? Was it because of your power? Or was it because of you as a person?}**

The Welsh Dragon looked upon his host, sensing the merging between his power and the jewel of the Vanishing Dragon.

**{Ophis loves you, partner. It is very strange though. How can Nothingness love? How can it feel any sort of emotion at all? Were you, Issei Hyoudou, somehow able to bring it out? Could it be that you are the infinity that 'fills' the void of Nothingness? Are you, my host, the one that completes Ophis?}**

**[Issssssei.]** The Orochi purred as her golden reptilian eyes widened in worry.

**{...Then there's the Apocalypse Dragon. To be honest partner, I never would've thought that in a million years that you and him would become friends. Like Ouroboros, Apocalypse had no care for any other being than itself. It stayed by itself, doing those maneuvers in the Dimensional Gap. But, then you came.}**

**{The True Dragon and the Infinite Dragon God have hated each other the moment they met. With Ophis basking in the Nothingness and Great Red's noisy antics, their animosity strengthened. But as soon as Ophis introduced you to him, their relationship began to change. They actually got along and started to bicker less, almost like siblings.}**

Ddraig shook his head and sighed.

**{Then there's the personification of Death. That was an entity I didn't expect for you to attract either, partner. After all, it's Death. An entity that serves as the primal fear for beings.}**

**{...Then there's you, the Yamata-no-Orochi.}**

As if on cue, the Orochi tilted her head and stared at the Welsh Dragon.

**{You were a mindless soul trapped within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. And because of that, I had to use my power to suppress you, even while I was training with Issei. During the battle with that bastard storm god Susanoo, that was when you changed.}**

**[...Issssei ssssaved me. I hated the ssssstorm God.]** Orochi hissed in remembrance.

**{Yes, I remember. You saw partner fighting with Susanoo, and you helped him because mutually, you both hated the storm god.}**

**[Yessssss.]**

**{So it's no surprise that you bonded with Issei. But perhaps the being I didn't expect to have an attraction to Issei...was 666. The Trihexa. That blew me away. The Apocalyptic Beast, the very being that God from the Bible sealed away, harbored feelings for my host.}**

**{And now, the Omniversal entity. The entity who should be given the sole title of the true God. A being who is responsible for the existence of all life and creation. What puzzles me is that the Omniversal entity actually harbors...emotions towards you, partner. I don't understand it at all. It has every other Universe and Multiverse to watch over, and yet it chose to watch this particular one. Because of you, Issei Hyoudou.}**

Ddraig narrowed his eyes slightly. His host truly was a peculiar being, To have the ability to unintentionally attract these omnipotent beings...must have been strange for a young man such as his host.

**{Partner...it appears that you couldn't handle the fusion of Albion's power and mine. Although it was beneficial to you to take Albion's power. It all depends on whether you can control it.}**

The sky in Issei's Inner World began to brighten slightly, prompting Ddraig and the Orochi to look up at the sky.

**{Well...the power you obtained from Albion should have been recorded into my soul. So that's a hopeful advantage. The rest depends on training.}**

**((Well then, shall we begin the training?))**

Ddraig widened his green eyes at the familiar voice and turned to see an equally familiar figure. The Welsh Dragon widened his eyes further as he recognized the source of the prideful voice.

It was a massive Dragon that rivaled his frame and height. In great contrast to Ddraig's crimson skin, the Dragon had silver-blue skin with blue eyes and two golden horns.

**{...Albion?!}**

**((Not quite, Ddraig. I am Albion. But I am also not. I am the portion of his soul that was sealed in the jewel of the Vanishing Dragon.))**

**{So that's why-}**

**((Yes, my presence and power combining with you is altering your host's energy. That's why when he used the power of the Dividing Gear and the Half Dimension technique, his energy rapidly burned out.))**

**{What does partner have to do?}**

**((If he wants to control my power, then he'll have to earn it. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until his energy stabilizes itself.))**

**{...}**

**((You seem angered.))**

**{Of course I am. I didn't expect to get you as a new roommate.}**

**[HISSSSSSSS]**

**{...Apparently, neither did the Orochi.}**


	22. The Solar God vs The Strongest Human

**Occult Research Club**

"What do you need Issei for? Is he in trouble?" Rias asked.

It was surprising to say the least at the reappearance of Xuelan and Siris. The Occult Research Club and the Student Council hadn't seen them or the rest of Riser's former peerage in a long time.

"Sirzechs-sama and the Governor of the Fallen Angels asked us to retrieve him." Xuelan answered.

"Retrieve him? For what? Is he supposed to go to the Underworld?" Sona guessed.

"Not quite," Siris began, "Azazel said for Issei to meet them in the Realm of the Dead."

The eyes of the Devil of the Occult Research and Student Council Clubs widened at the revelation.

"The Realm of the Dead?!" Saji exclaimed.

"Where Hades, the God of the Dead lives?" Tsubaki asked in surprise, "What does he want with Hyoudou-san?"

Xuelan shook her head sadly.

Out of all the members of Riser's former peerage, she was the only one to spend time with Issei the most. Even after he had disappeared for six months, she still hadn't forgotten about him. One factor that showed Issei hadn't forgotten about her and the rest of the peerage, was that he constantly shipped bloodstones over to the Phenex Mansion. Although there was never a return address, Xuelan found comfort in the fact that Issei still thought about the Phenex clan.

"They didn't say," The Chinese Devil replied, "All I know is that Azazel and Sirzechs-sama seemed really adamant about retrieving Issei-sama. And that the God of the Dead wanted to speak with him about something important."

"Does Hades want to fight Newby or something?" Saji asked in curiosity, "After all, he's one of the Olympian Gods. But I don't think he would be interested in Newby, since he's been lying low for six months."

"It seems that no matter how many times Issei Hyoudou tries to avoid the supernatural world, it always has a way of finding him." Sona sighed as she fixed her glasses.

"So, do you know where Issei-sama is?" Siris repeated Xuelan's original question.

"Well, normally it would be easy to sense his power," Sona began, "But at the moment his energy is untraceable for some strange reason. So I'll give you his address."

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of the Dead<strong>

Despite sounding very similar to Death's Domain, the Realm of the Dead was actually a much different location. For instance, the inhabitants of Death's Domain involved Death itself and the lost souls that existed within it. The Realm of the Dead, was claimed by Hades, one of the twelve Olympian Gods.

Sitting on a throne of pure hellfire was Hades himself. A vast statue consisting of bones and dressed in an attire worn by high priests, the God of the Realm of the Dead flared out his aura, giving off a creepy and unsettling presence.

Standing in front of the God, were none other than Sirzechs and Azazel.

Normally, the Three Factions would not have bothered the other Gods of Mythology, if not for the fact that Hades wanted to converse with the one known as Issei Hyoudou.

The older brother of Rias flared out the aura of the Power of Destruction angrily.

Azazel, on the other hand, was completely calm. Although he had no reason to be calm at all. Despite the fact that he was interested in why Hades wanted to converse with Issei Hyoudou, there was another reason why Azazel was here with Sirzechs.

The Governor of the Fallen Angels had sent Raynare and Kalawarner to discover some artifacts from the Realm of the Dead. The girl with the Twilight Healing Sacred Gear (Asia, if he remembered correctly) was safe and sound at the Fallen Angel Headquarters.

Unfortunately, Raynare and Kalawarner were not in the same predicament as Asia.

The two Fallen Angels had been caught and were now displayed next to the God of the Dead. They had bloodied marks, with some of the fabric of their clothes torn away. Raynare and Kalawarner were also unconscious.

"Fafafafa. You show me such good eyes." Hades mockingly taunted Azazel, "Do not be angry with me just because your Fallen Angels were stupid enough to be caught. I wonder why you sent them into my Realm for 'research'."

The Fallen Angel kept his tone neutral, but he was finding it hard to do so.

"It was no harm intended, nor was there any ill-intent, Hades-dono."

"Be that as it may, you should've known better." The God of the Dead responded.

Hades' eyes suddenly glowed a dangerous color as he turned his attention to Sirzechs.

"I grow impatient, Crimson Maou. Where is the so-called Solar God? Surely you and this despicable Fallen Angel have sent your subordinates to retrieve him?"

Sirzechs' blue-green eyes narrowed ominously.

"We have already sent a pair of Devils to retrieve him. Don't worry, Issei Hyoudou will be here."

"For these female Fallen Angels' sake, you best hope your claim is correct." The God said menacingly.

"Hades-dono, let me ask you something." Azazel spoke up.

"Humph. As you wish."

"What is your business with Issei Hyoudou? As far as we know, he has never come in contact with you."

"There are many aspects of the End, Fallen Angel. When Issei Hyoudou died during his battle with the storm god Susanaoo, he passed into the realm known as Death's Domain. However, he was not supposed to."

Sirzechs lost his control on the Power of Destruction for a moment in confusion.

"What? What do you mean he wasn't supposed to?"

"Listen carefully, Devil." Hades snarled, "The entity known only as Death prevented Issei Hyoudou from passing into my Realm! The son of Amaterasu was supposed to go to the Realm of the Dead, not into Death's Domain!"

"Are you saying the Shinigami saved Issei Hyoudou?" Azazel said as his eyes widened in surprise.

"Do I need to spell it out for you, Fallen Angel?" Hades sniped, "The Solar brat was supposed to pass into this realm without Death's interference. That accursed entity was not supposed to save the boy."

"...Huh," Azazel shrugged, "And it took you six months to figure that out?"

"Silence, Fallen Angel!" Hades snarled.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Apartment : Bedroom<strong>

The Ouroboros Dragon was sleeping quietly next to her mate. Earlier, the 'Above' entity, also known as the creator of the Omniverse, had retreated to the apartment living room after making sure Issei's base energy was stable. The bedroom was quiet, the silence very prevalent.

Ophis' pointed ears twitched just slightly, the tips moving up and down. Her dark-gray eyes fluttered, her body aroused to prevent herself from falling asleep. Blinking several times, Ophis lifted herself up and looked down to see warm yet tired brown eyes.

"My Issei." The Infinite Dragon God uttered with loving affection.

"H-hey, Ophis." Issei said with an exhausted sigh.

The Solar God struggled to lift himself up, his body aching from the strain of the Vanishing Dragon's power.

It seemed that Albion was correct in worrying about what would happen if the powers of the Red Dragon Emperor and the White Dragon Emperor were to combine. The pressure of having the abilities of the Two Heavenly Dragons was completely unexpected to Issei.

But the young man wasn't surprised. After all, he had used Albion's power without even training first, so he knew that attempt would lead to repercussions. He still felt a little sore, but he could manage.

Looking up, Issei widened his eyes slightly when he noticed that he was in his apartment.

'Ophis and the entity must have brought me home. I wonder what happened to Leiko and everyone else.'

"Your cousin is at her home. The Three Factions are in the human world as we speak." Ophis answered her mate's worries.

Issei sighed and placed his hand on his forehead, his eyebrows slanting downwards in tiredness.

Ophis tilted her head and put her hands on Issei's cheeks. At the contact of Ophis' cold yet soft skin, Issei looked into the Dragon's dark-gray eyes. The young man could detect the genuine emotion in his wife's eyes.

"That was not smart of you to do, Issei." Ophis stated, her voice cold and monotone.

Despite Ophis' voice being emotionless, Issei knew when he was being scolded. And he knew he deserved it.

The Solar God sighed and bowed his head.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry Ophis."

"Why did you interfere? I did not send you to my home without a reason."

"...I just didn't want anyone to get hurt."

The Ouroboros Dragon tilted her head at Issei's answer.

"Before engaging in combat with the entity, I ordered Baka-Red to send Cousin Leiko to her home. She is safe now."

"No, not just Leiko-san. I didn't want you to get yourself involved into something so unimportant, Ophis."

Ophis widened her sharp eyes in a bit of surprise. She didn't expect her mate to say that. She was aware that Issei wasn't an expert on how to show his feelings. After all, he was only eighteen years old. A young adult. He was far too young.

Ophis, on the other hand, had existed since the beginning of time.

"You do not have to worry about my well-being. I, am the Nothingness of Infinity. Nothingness cannot be destroyed."

"...Even so. I didn't want you to fight the entity. Especially when it was about a lower being such as myself."

Issei was thrust into awareness when Ophis suddenly grabbed him by his V neck shirt and placed their faces closer. The force was so quick that Issei wasn't ready for Ophis' movement. The Ouroboros Dragon's stare was piercing, her sharp dark-gray eyes peering into brown eyes.

"You are a foolish mate for saying that."

"?!"

The Infinite Dragon God then puckered her lips out and planted a soft kiss on her mate's forehead, and stared right into his soul.

"Why do you label yourself like that, my Issei?"

"Well I mean, I'm not as strong as you, Great Red, Lilith, Hex-chan, or the Omniversal entity."

"If that is true, then why do you feel the need to protect us?" Ophis asked.

Issei opened his mouth, and then he paused. He was at a loss of what to say. He truly didn't have a response to Ophis' question.

The young man felt the need to protect them because they were his family. But there was another reason. He just couldn't figure out what the other reason was.

"That is why you are foolish," Ophis said as she neared her lips towards Issei's own, "But you are _my_ foolish mate."

She kissed her mate full on the lips, her body shivering and tingling at the intimate physical contact with Issei. Despite not showing it, Ophis knew why her darling Issei desired to protect her and the others.

She thought it was unnecessary, but it showed that Issei did indeed care about her. And that was why she adored her lovely Issei. Despite possessing all of his power, he was still a young man. He still had much to learn about himself.

Ophis released Issei's lips from hers and tilted her head. She noticed that her mate's V neck shirt was a bit ruffled, and his trousers were ruffled as well. He appeared to be extremely tired.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, her monotone voice betraying her worry.

"A little," Issei admitted as he placed his feet off the bed, "I don't feel enthusiastic, but I don't feel worn down either."

The young man put his black formal shoes on, and stood up. He took a litte time to regain his balance, but he succeeded eventually. Looking back at Ophis, Issei sent her a warm but tired smile. He then opened the door to walk out of his bedroom.

"Hey, Ophis. Did you want anything to e-?"

Issei was cut off when he suddenly walked into a pair of enormous and suffocating breasts. Instead of indiscriminately freaking out wildly like most men would do, Issei stopped in his pace and looked up to see who he had unintentionally ran into.

It was the 'Above' entity. It appeared that in her second form her chest was a bit larger in contrast to her first form. The entity peered down at Issei, her expression not changing in the least. As Issei's sight cleared, he discovered that the entity was dressed in a pink nurse's outfit, with a nurse's cap included. The 'Above' also wore red glasses which enhanced her emotionless green eyes, and a pink-red bow to support her black hair into a ponytail.

"..."

Not even going to ask the entity why she was dressed in a nurse's outfit in the first place, Issei calmly removed his face from her breasts, and looked up at her.

"_Your energy is stabilized,_" The 'Above' stated, "_I assume you are feeling well?_"

Issei smiled gratefully at the entity's apparent concern for him and nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks for asking."

Sighing, the young man went to walk into the kitchen and start dinner for Ophis. Watching her 'precious interest' walk away, the true God moved her attention to Ophis.

"Were you aware of our conversation?" The Ouroboros Dragon asked.

"_Yes. And I agree with you_."

Ophis tilted her head in response, prompting the entity to elaborate further.

"_He is foolish_," The 'Above' cleared, "_He is still a young boy. However...he is very intriguing_."

"That is why I love my Issei," Ophis declared, "He is unique among other beings."

* * *

><p><strong>20 Minutes Later<strong>

_You all right, Ise-itoko?_

"Yeah I'm fine, Leiko-san."

Issei blinked several times at the worried tone in Leiko's voice. Moments after Issei finished cooking dinner for Ophis and the 'Above', the phone next to his desktop rang. When he sat down in his chair and picked the phone up, he was a little surprised to find out it was Leiko who was calling him.

"Are you okay?"

_I'm all right. Red dropped me off at my house. Ise-itoko, I've meaning to ask you. Who was that woman sitting on top of you? Is she another primordial being like Ophis, or Death?_

Issei moved his desktop to glance at Ophis and the 'Above' entity, who was staring right back at him. The young man was secretly glad that the entity had chosen a second form. That first form honestly creeped the hell out of him, but it's not like he would've actually said that out loud.

"You can say she's like that." Issei was hesitating in his answer.

_It's a shame that the pool party was cut short. How did your fight with that silver-haired kid go?_

"I never had the fight, Leiko-san. Vali wanted to fight that woman. One thing led to another, and what's left of the arena of the Underworld was that huge crater you saw."

_That woman caused all of that?! No wonder you and that Vali kid were bleeding! Are you sure you're all right?!_

"I'm all right, Leiko-san. I promise."

Issei smiled as he heard his cousin sigh in relief.

_Nothing can be normal with you, can it Ise-itoko?_

Even though Leiko couldn't see it, Issei gave a wry smile.

"Hmm. I guess you're right."

_When you can, please make sure to contact me often, Issei. You know I worry about you._

"Why are you so worried, Leiko-san?" Issei asked in genuine confusion.

_Don't be stupid, my Ise-itoko. You're my baby cousin. I can't help it._

"..." Issei's eyes widened a little in response.

_Just promise me you'll contact me often._

"...I promise."

And he meant it.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

_You have to go?_

"...Yeah."

_All right. I'll talk to you later._

Seconds later, Issei heard the dialing tone, indicating Leiko had hung up her side of the phone. Placing his phone down, Issei looked up at the door.

"Come in!"

The door opened, revealing a pair of familiar Devils. Issei widened his eyes slightly.

"Issei!"

"Xuelan-san? Siris-san?"

The Chinese Rook smiled cheerfully as she ran to hug the surprised Issei. Issei remained still as he was surprised that the Chinese Devil had managed to find him. Sure, he had sent a large sum of bloodstones to support the Phenex Clan, but he made sure to provide no return address. So how did Xuelan and Siris know he lived here in Tokyo?

"It's been so long!" Xuelan smiled wider.

"Yeah it has." Issei uttered out.

The young man looked up to see Siris giving him a small smile, which was a bit uncharacteristic of her. Usually as a Knight, she was either stoic or somewhat impatient.

Letting go of Issei, Xuelan turned to look at the Ouroboros Dragon in the kitchen. She smiled politely.

"It's so good to see you too Ophis! How have you been?"

"I, have been well." The Infinite Dragon God said calmly.

Issei blinked several times as he noticed Xuelan did not address the 'Above' entity. When he looked over to the kitchen, he discovered that the entity was still staring at him. Then he remembered that the 'Above' could will the perception of a being by choice.

"Issei-sama," Siris began, "There's something we have to tell you. After we do however, we're reported to return to the Phenex mansion."

Noticing Siris' solemn tone and Xuelan's sudden serious look, Issei immediately sensed the severity of the situation.

"What is it you have to tell me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of the Dead<strong>

"I'm losing my patience! Where the hell is the brat of Amaterasu?!"

"Patience, Hades-dono." Azazel replied through gritted teeth.

"Do not tell me to be patient, foolish scum! Where is Issei Hyoudou?!"

"...I'm right here."

Hades, Azazel, and Sirzechs widened their eyes and turned around to see a young adult with brown hair and brown eyes.

The God of the Realm of Death narrowed his eye-less sockets as he looked at the young man.

"So, you are Amaterasu's brat!"

"Issei Hyoudou!" Sirzechs exclaimed.

"You made it." Azazel noted.

Issei walked closer to the God of Death, and narrowed his eyes when he saw two familiar Fallen Angels.

'Raynare-san. Kalawarner-san.'

"What did you do to them?"

Hades snorted in response.

"Why ask such a stupid question? You actually care about these slutty Fallen Angels?"

"Why did you try to contact me after all these months? And what exactly is this all about? If memory serves me, you and I have never once met." Issei replied as he glared at the Olympian God.

"That is correct," Hades glowered at the young man, "But the reason I have contacted you is because you were able to avoid passing into this Realm."

"What?" Issei said in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"You remember your battle with your dear uncle Susanoo, yes?"

"..."

"I'll take your silence as a yes. Anyway, when you perished in that battle you ended up descending into the realm known as Death's Domain. However, you were not supposed to."

The memory of the female personification of Death resurfaced in Issei's mind, prompting the young man to feel a chill in his skin.

Then he suddenly picked up what Hades said last.

"Wait? What do you mean I wasn't supposed to?"

"The entity known as Death was the one who saved you from falling into my Realm, son of Amaterasu. She saved you from suffering."

Issei widened his eyes. So Death had saved him from suffering? For God's sake, these powerful entities he unintentionally attracted were so damn possessive of him.

"However, now I have you right where I want you." Hades declared menacingly.

Issei clicked his tongue and looked up at the unconscious Raynare and Kalawarner. The Fallen Angels didn't deserve this at all.

"Let them go."

"Oh? What gives you the right to demand something of me, son of Amaterasu?"

"Because those two Fallen Angels are beings that I actually care about. When you hurt my friends, you can guarantee I'll be involved."

Sirzechs and Azazel looked on silently. They knew that Issei was powerful. But Hades was among the Top 10 "Strongest Beings in the World". After all, he was stronger than Michael, Azazel, and the current Four Great Satans combined.

Hades lifted a bony finger up to his chin and hummed in thought.

'This brat is surely a determined one. But he has no idea who I plan to pit him up against.'

Letting out a joy of laughter, Hades lifted his hand up and snapped his fingers.

Immediately after, a large crowd of dark-robed figures appeared in front of Hades, each wielding scythes.

Issei narrowed his eyes at the large number of figures.

'What are these creatures? Are they Grim Reapers or something?'

"Don't look so serious, son of Amaterasu. These creatures aren't the beings you will be fighting."

Issei rose an eyebrow in response.

As he looked at the shadows, a handsome young man with short black hair appeared. He wore a combination of a Japanese school uniform and ancient Chinese attire.

'Who on Earth is that?' Issei asked in his thoughts.

Azazel and Sirzechs noticeably had serious looks on their faces. The young man next to Hades glowered at the Olympian God.

"Will you keep your promise, God of Death?"

"As long as you will, Cao Cao."

"Humph. Then this should be no problem." Cao Cao replied.

Issei blinked as he noticed that the young man known as Cao Cao held a bladed spear.

Narrowing his eyes, Cao Cao went to attack Issei with the spear.

"HIYAHHHHHH!"

POKE

"..."

"..."

Cao Cao opened his eyes and looked to see a surprised Issei. He then looked down to see that his spear had not even pierced through Issei's stomach as he intended to.

Looking up and down at Issei, Cao Cao actually had the gall to look hesitant. He poked him again, wanting to see what would happen next.

_POKE_

"..."

"..."

_...PO-_

Issei grabbed the spear and poked Cao Cao in the side.

"Ouch!" Cao Cao shrieked in surprise.

"Cut it out!" Issei reprimanded him.

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes in pain and took his spear back in irritation.

"I don't understand this! Why the hell aren't you affected by the True Longinus?!"

"The what?" Issei asked in great confusion.

"The True Longinus," Sirzechs answered, "The most powerful and first Sacred Gear of all. A bladed spear that is capable of killing Gods, Devils, and us Satans."

"Exactly!" Cao Cao exclaimed, "And the God of Death has said countless times that you were a God! So why isn't it affecting you?!"

Issei blinked several times in confusion.

The spear wielded by Cao Cao had the power to kill Gods?

Issei wouldn't have admitted it out loud, but he had actually gotten much stronger over the six month period. After all, it wasn't like all he did during that time period was slouch around. Perhaps his durability had augmented to a great degree.

Issei had to admit though, he could sense a massive power within the True Longinus.

Cao Cao glared at the son of Amaterasu.

"Answer me, you fool! Despite Hades claiming that you are one, you sure don't look like a God!"

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm not the type of guy to consider myself one, but technically I am a God!"

"Yeah, right!" Cao Cao snorted.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Issei challenged as he gave the wielder of the True Longinus an indignant glare.

"I ain't calling you a truther!" Cao Cao shot back.

"Both of you insects shut the hell up and listen to my instructions!" Hades roared, finally losing his patience.

Issei and Cao Cao looked up at Hades. The God of the Dead gave them a fierce glare that would have driven mortals to tears.

The Solar God and Cao Cao stared at the God of Death for a moment, before they looked back at each other.

"So, where were we?" Issei continued their conversation.

"I was saying that-" Cao Cao responded before he was interrupted.

"Guh?! You dare ignore ME?!" Hades shouted out in disbelief.

Issei turned to look at Hades and gave him a stern glare.

"WHAT?!" Hades bellowed, his anger getting the best of him.

"..."

"WELL?!" Hades shouted again, wanting the son of Amaterasu to spit out his response.

"I'm not ignoring you anymore. You can go ahead and speak now." Issei explained with a raise of his eyebrow.

"GAH!" Hades tried to splutter in rage, before realizing he couldn't generate water anyway, and settled for smoldering in his wrath, "Your insolence is making my skin crawl in disgust, son of Amaterasu!"

"...But you don't have any ski-" Issei naively tried to say, before being fiercely interrupted by Hades.

"Cao Cao!" Hades shouted, "You remember our deal!"

The True Longinus wielder glared at Issei and then directed his Sacred Gear towards him.

Issei noticed this and narrowed his eyes. Although Ophis had managed to stabilize his energy for the most part, Issei was still unsure if he needed to transform.

"You see Issei," Cao Cao began, "The Lord of the Dead promised me that if I defeated you then he would send me back to the world of the living."

"And this is where I give you a deal, son of Amaterasu," Hades smirked darkly, "If you manage to defeat Cao Cao, then you and these Fallen Angels are free to go."

Issei's eyes widened at the conditions. He wouldn't deny that he wanted to save Raynare and Kalawarner. But if he won, then Cao Cao would be trapped in the current realm. He in no way cared about Cao Cao in a personal way, but the guy _was_ fighting for his freedom.

"Well Issei Hyoudou," Cao Cao raised the True Longinus, "Let's begin!"

Issei set himself into a defensive position as he and Cao Cao charged at each other.

As Hades watched the fight, a figure dressed in dark robes and ornaments manifested next to him.

"This is amusing, Lord Hades. When shall I fight the victor?"

Hades' smirk widened into a ghastly smile.

"Patience, Pluto. If you're lucky, one of them might even manage to give you a good fight."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Apartment: Kitchen<strong>

Sharp dark-gray eyes bored into stoic and emotionless dark-green eyes. The two entities had been staring at each other in the apartment for what almost seemed like hours.

If anyone were to walk into Issei's apartment right now, they most likely would have assumed the two women were having a staring contest.

Ophis and the 'Above' entity were silent as they stared at each other.

No words were exchanged between them, as they each knew what the other was thinking.

The clock on the kitchen wall ticked endlessly, the noise echoing throughout the apartment.

"I, have a question." Ophis finally said.

The 'Above' showed no facial response.

"Why did you create the Omniverse? What was your reason for bringing existence into motion?"

Silence bore within the apartment of Issei. The Ouroboros Dragon and the Omniversal Entity were silent once again.

Ophis was genuinely curious about the entity. It was quite obvious that she and the 'Above' had 'gotten off on the wrong foot' (if she remembered one of the phrases Issei taught to her), in part due to Ophis' possessiveness and the entity's new-found emotions regarding Issei.

The 'Above' lowered her dark green eyes on the kitchen table. Her deadpan facial expression and monotonic voice, compared to Ophis', could never be read. Not unlike Dragons, the probability of predicting the actions of an omnipotent being was complete zilch.

"..._Curiosity_."

Ophis tilted her head at the entity's answer.

"On a whim?"

"_Correct_."

"That is very strange."

The 'Above' lifted her hand up and summoned an energy sphere that mirrored that of a globe. Within the globe was a depiction of spirals, galaxies, and planets.

"_I created everything that exists, because I was curious. The desire to observe everything from afar. While the separate Universes were brought to life, I created the necessary uses for the homo sapiens to survive. And then, I observed. I waited to see how evolution would bring itself forward_."

"You watched?" Ophis asked as she tilted her head, "That is all you did?"

The 'Above' closed her hand around the globular energy sphere, causing it to scatter off around the apartment.

"_Yes. I maintained the role of a bystander. I chose not to interfere within the Universes I spawned because I am not their babysitter. The conflicts that arised in each specific Universe were very minor if the homo sapiens took the time to think. That is why I created the aspects that are represented in each world._"

"Aspects?"

"_Correct. After the creation of the Multiverse, I brought the existences of several cosmic primordial entities. They each have a occupation that allows balance to exist within every Universe. Some of my creations seem to harbor an interest for Issei Hyoudou. They are not the only ones, however, as there are many more primordial entities within this Universe._"

"..."

"_You are aware of Death and its 'siblings', are you not_?" The 'Above' asked Ophis.

Ophis looked up at the 'Above' entity. It was true. She was well aware of the entities known as Oblivion and Eternity. The Endless Trio; Death, Eternity and Oblivion. Yes, Ophis knew all about them.

The Infinite Dragon's nose twitched at the memory of the entity known as Death. Ophis had a natural enmity towards the Shinigami. Death could never claim the Ouroboros Dragon in her Domain, simply because Ophis was the Nothingness of Infinity. After all, how could anything claim Nothingness?

_Nothingness_ would only allow its mate to claim it.

The Ouroboros Dragon claimed that she was the _Nothingness_ that desired to smother its mate, and keep him to itself. Issei filled the spaceless void that Nothingness embodied.

"Yes. I, am aware of them."

"_Do not worry_," The 'Above' began as she summoned a manifestation of energy once more, "_Death and its 'siblings' have restrictions that prevent them from residing in a world other than their own for a long period of time. You do not have to act suspicious around them_."

Ophis allowed her body and anxiety to relax, feeling a bit of relief at the entity's words. The Ouroboros Dragon then looked down at the energy on the table. As Ophis' dark-gray eyes narrowed in curiosity, the energy suddenly formed into a familiar image.

The 'Above' picked the small plushie up and held it towards her, her arms enveloping around it securely. Ophis' dark-gray eyes widened a bit slightly at the appearance of the plushie. It had the appearance of someone very familiar. Except the hair of the plushie had a reddish-purple color, and the skin tone was a darker-peach. The hair of the plushie was lifted and the eyes were red.

"My Issei?"

Indeed, it was a plushie version of her darling mate. Or more specifically, a plushie version of Issei in his Super Solar God (or as Leiko erroneously dubbed, "Super Saiyan God") transformation.

Ophis looked at the 'Above' in disbelief, while the entity stared back, shamelessly hugging the plush version of Issei Hyoudou. The Ouroboros Dragon was very shocked.

"You crafted a plush version of my mate?" Ophis finally asked after a relatively awkward silence.

The Infinite Dragon God wasn't even angry. Just very, very confused. She was aware that the 'Above' regularly monitored Issei, but she didn't think it would go so far like this. This just seemed completely random for an entity like the 'Above'. Then again, it wasn't worth it to attempt to predict the next action of an omnipotent being.

"_Yes_." The 'Above' answered.

Ophis' eyes remained wide-open. A foreign emotion suddenly erupted within her. It was completely unknown to her, and it only increased the longer she stared at the plush version of her Issei. It was similar to her desire to allow the Nothingness to 'claim' and cover its mate within the boundless space of Infinity. Except this time, she wanted to hold Issei.

Like he was a small little creature that would be eternally clutched within the Nothingness and never be let out.

"Why did you craft this version of my Issei? Especially in his final Solar transformation?" The Dragon asked in great confusion and curiosity.

The 'Above' turned the Issei-plushie over so that she could see its face. By just looking at her emotionless green eyes, it was impossible to decipher what she was thinking or feeling. Ophis patiently waited for the 'Above' entity to answer.

Looking at Ophis with her dark green eyes, the 'Above' turned the Issei-plushie in the Ouroboros Dragon's direction, and pointed to its face.

"_Because your darling Issei; my precious interest, is truly our little darling_."

Ophis was rendered completely silent, until she uttered the first reply that came to her mind.

"I, want one."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's SubconsciousInner World**

Despite the fact that Ddraig couldn't contact his host due to the energy still stabilizing itself, the Welsh Dragon was in a horrible mood.

Why was he?

The source of his anger was currently looking around the Inner World of the Red Dragon Emperor's host.

The soul of Albion that was sealed in the jewel of the Vanishing Dragon, looked around the subconscious of Issei Hyoudou curiously. He spotted the bright white skyscrapers and buildings and hummed in amusement.

Turning back to Ddraig, the clone of the Vanishing Dragon hummed again.

**((You ever think about buying a house?))**

Ddraig's moody expression widened into one of confusion and he almost lost his composure. After keeping his cool, the Welsh Dragon huffed and rolled his eyes.

**{Oh yeah, let me get right on that with a body I don't even have.}**

**((Well have you ever thought settling down in the human world and getting a job?))**

**{...I'm a red Western Dragon. No sane human would ever hire me. And why the hell am I even talking to you about this?}**

It was not a happy day for the Welsh Dragon. At the very least this incarnation of Albion was less arrogant. In fact, he was actually a bit mellow and more curious.

Ddraig deeply regretted for his decision to allow Issei to absorb the power of the Vanishing Dragon. If he didn't know any better, Albion was probably laughing his silver ass off.

**((So. What do you even do in your host's subconscious?))**

The Welsh Dragon gave the clone of his rival a long blank stare.

**{When my host is in the Inner World, we play poker and often converse with each other while playing billiards.}**

**((...You're lying.))**

CLINK

Ddraig and the clone of Albion looked down to see the Yamata-no-Orochi positioned after she had just knocked the eight-ball off the pool table. On top of her head was a black billiards hat. Noticing the two Dragons staring at her from behind, the Orochi turned her reptilian golden eyes to Ddraig and Albion.

**[Lying about what, Vanissssshing Dragon?]**

**((...))**

**{Told you.}**

It was silent again in the Inner World of Issei Hyoudou. In spite of the clone of Albion's constant annoyance, Ddraig was also concerned about his host. He was lucky that Ophis and the Omniversal Entity managed to stabilize his energy for the most part, but it was taking too damn long.

**((Do you guys have a TV or something?))**

**{Why the hell would we have a television in my host's Inner World?!}**

**((Well, how else are you able to watch Issei's fights?))**

**{We don't use a damn television, I can tell you that! I can sense what my host is doing!}**

**((You should manifest a television so we can see what's going on.))**

**{How about no?}**

**((Oh, come on. I'll make some popcorn.))**

**{...}**

* * *

><p><strong>Five Minutes Later<strong>

**((So he's facing a human who wields the True Longinus huh? Impressive.))**

**{What's so impressive?}**

**((The Spear of Longinus, is what's impressive. It's the most powerful of all the Longinus, and yet it's wielded by a mere human. You know of its capabilities, don't you Ddraig?))**

Ddraig narrowed his eyes darkly.

Due to the interference of his and the clone of Albion's powers, it was risky for Issei to summon the draconic power of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. If Issei managed to use his natural solar-powered abilities along with the sword, then the human known as Cao Cao wouldn't be a problem. However, Issei's Solar Energy was still unstable as well.

**{Of course I know of its abilities, Alb-}**

**((...What?))**

**{Look, I'm just going to call you Al.}**

**((I don't think I like that name.))**

**{No one cares what you think. Anyway, I am aware of its abilities. It's not called the strongest Longinus for no reason after all. And despite the fact that the True Longinus was unable to pierce through my host's stomach, it doesn't mean anything. Issei could have trouble with this one.}**

The Welsh Dragon gazed seriously as he watched his host battle the human. Indeed, he was well-known of the abilities of the True Longinus. Through his occasional talks with the soul of the Biblical God six months ago, he knew a whole number of capabilities about certain Sacred Gears.

It was just a damn shame that he couldn't contact Issei and tell him to be careful, since their mind-link was blocked out due to the interference of Albion's clone.

**{The Wheel Treasure. The power to destroy all weapons. So Issei should take care not to use the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in this fight. That could be detrimental. Then there's the Female Treasure, which cancels out the special ability of women for a short time. Issei clearly isn't a woman, so the human isn't going to use that technique.}**

The Red Dragon Emperor lowered his head down.

**{The Horse Treasure. The ability to teleport a person the wielder chooses. My host better be careful about that ability too. Next is the Pearl Treasure, which can send the attack towards the user to other people.}**

**((Don't forget about the Elephant Treasure. With that power, it grants the wielder the ability to fly.))**

**{Humph. That won't be a hindrance to my host. Now Householder Treasure, is something that Issei needs to worry about. It creates warrior-like existences. And then...there's the General Treasure. Out of all the attacks the True Longinus wields, its the strongest ability.}**

**((Hmm, bummer for Issei. Pass the popcorn would you?))**

Ddraig grumbled but relented and manifested a large bag of popcorn in front of Al. Licking his lips, Albion's clone picked up a piece of the snack with his claw, and opened his mouth.

_CRUNCH_

Al widened his blue eyes and looked to the side to see the Orochi chewing something. Narrowing his eyes, the Vanishing Dragon clone selected another piece and opened his mouth.

_CRUNCH_

The cloned Dragon glared at the Orochi, who was still looking at the high-definition television screen. Moving the bag of popcorn to the side so that not even Ddraig could reach it, Al picked up a piece of popcorn again and went to eat it.

He would've succeeded, had not a long and sharp pink tongue latch itself onto the kettle snack. The Dragon grumbled in disgust as his piece of popcorn was swallowed by the Yamata-no-Orochi, who let out a burp.

**[Needsssss more butter.]**

**((Oh, you are dead!))**

**{Kukukukuku.}**

**((You think this is funny, Ddraig?!))**

**{I'm laughing aren't I?}**

**((Please tell me you disapprove of this!))**

**{Not even in the slightest.}**

**((Damn it all!))**

Ddraig looked down at the Orochi, and the two shared a sidelong smirk.

If the clone of Albion was going to live with them in Issei's Inner World, they might as well get a little fun out of it.

As Ddraig looked up at the television screen, he gained a serious look on his face.

**{So Hades is interested in seeing how my host fares against the wielder of the True Longinus? Despicable god.}**

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of the Dead<strong>

Issei grunted as he dodged the swing of the True Longinus, and turned his attention back to Cao Cao and glared at him.

Even though Cao Cao's attempt to stab the Longinus into him backfired, Issei was still cautious. After all, his energy was still a bit unstable. He thought about transforming, but he didn't feel it was necessary. At least not yet.

The young man had been training in his base form for the past six months. Issei assumed that if he trained and honed his powers and reflexes in his normal state (without the use of his transformations, or the power of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi), then the massive boost his transformations provided would skyrocket even further to soaring heights.

Paying attention closely, Issei dodged another swipe from the True Longinus.

Narrowing his eyes, Cao Cao then directed the Longinus towards Issei.

A ring of light surrounded Cao Cao and manifested five bowling ball sized orbs of energy. Cao Cao took a step forward, while the five orbs around him moved as well.

"This is my True Longinus' Balance-Breaker, Polar Night Longinus Chakravartine. Though it's still incomplete."

Immediately after, five orbs with the same shape and appearance glided in front of Cao Cao himself. Issei looked at the orbs in confusion, wondering what Cao Cao was planning.

Looking at Issei with a scowl, Cao Cao quickly smiled and tapped his spear on his own shoulder.

"You're a confusing one, aren't you Solar God?"

Issei didn't respond to the human, wondering why he was making idle conversation during a serious conflict.

'Why is he talking to me while we're doing battle? It doesn't make any sense.'

"I mean," Cao Cao began, "It's strange that despite you being a God born from the Sun, I was unable to stab the True Longinus through you. That reminds me of a certain powerful entity."

'Who is he talking about?' Issei wondered in his thoughts.

"I'm sure you've heard of the Ouroboros Dragon, correct?"

Issei immediately grew serious at the mention of his wife. But he remained cool. He knew Ophis was safe at his apartment with the 'Above' entity.

"Leave her out of this, Cao Cao," Issei said calmly, "She's not involved in this battle."

"I know, Issei Hyoudou," Cao Cao sneered, "But hear me out for a moment. What do you think would happen if I would were to stab the Infinite Dragon God with the True Longinus?"

Issei widened his eyes and looked around the Realm of the Dead in confusion. When he looked at Hades, the God of the Dead surprised the Solar God by actually looking back at him with the same expression, and shrugged.

Looking back and forth at Hades and Cao Cao, Issei hesitated in his next words.

"Y-you're not asking me a trick question, are you?"

"Surely- Wait, what?" Cao Cao did a double take.

"You heard what I said," Issei said as he crossed his arms, "Are you serious? If stabbing me with that spear of yours didn't work, what on Earth makes you think stabbing Ophis would do anything to her? That's like trying to stab Great Red while you're staring at him. And we all know how that would go down."

"Obviously." Sirzechs, Azazel, and Hades intoned.

Cao Cao spluttered with indignant rage towards Issei.

"And just what do you mean 'and we all know how that would go down'?!"

Issei held up three fingers.

"One, Great Red would either attack you like he usually does to people who annoy him. Two, he would probably just point and laugh at you before he, mind my french, bitch slaps out of existence. And three, if he's actually in a good mood and is feeling merciful, he'll just run you over with his motorcycle and then if by some chance you survive _that, _force you to polish it up."

Pluto, who was watching within the shadows behind Hades, hesitantly tapped the God of the Dead on his bony shoulder.

"But wouldn't he be extinct from the motorcycle that ran him over?"

"Shhhhh! This is amusing!" Hades hushed his underling, who shook his head at his master.

"I don't have to take this, you smart-ass!" Cao Cao retorted as his eyes twitched in irritation.

"What?" Issei rose an eyebrow as he replied in genuine befuddlement, "I'm not a donkey, I'm just smart!"

"I-!" Cao Cao went to yell at Issei again until he remembered something.

Issei wasn't from Earth.

Cao Cao smoldered in rage as he realized his insult was pretty much wasted and barely effective. Shaking his head to calm his nerves, Cao Cao pointed the True Longinus towards Issei.

"You're correct about one thing, Issei Hyoudou. To take down the power of Infinite, is not possible even with this spear. In fact, the Ouroboros Dragon wouldn't even fight back against me."

"Cao Cao," Issei began as he frowned, "Ophis wouldn't even give you the satisfaction of _looking_ at you even if you attempted to attack her. She would just walk away from you as if nothing happened."

"Shut the hell up and stop interrupting me!" Cao Cao finally snapped, losing his patience.

"Ha ha! This is great." Hades commented over to Pluto, who hung his head in dismay towards the Olympian God.

This was perhaps the funniest battle the God of the Dead held in the Underworld for quite some time.

"Anyway," Cao Cao started with an annoyed tone, "The reason is simple. That's because Ophis can kill me anytime she wants to."

"Come to think of it, I don't even think Lilith or Hex-chan would retaliate if you tried to stab them either. They'd probably laugh their little heads off with Great Red while eating popcorn together."

"SILENCE!" Cao Cao exploded.

"I'm just saying." Issei shrugged.

"THAT'S IT!" The wielder of the True Longinus roared.

Cao Cao gripped on the spear tightly and it glowed. Immediately after, one of the orbs glided over to Issei who prepared himself and caught it. Cao Cao smirked and pointed to Issei.

"Atsusa Ratana!"

Issei widened his eyes as he was suddenly transmitted away.

"It allows me to teleport the person I choo-"

_WHAM_

"OUCH! DAMN IT ALL!"

Cao Cao screeched in pain as he rubbed his black hair. The human angrily turned around to see Issei tapping the True Longinus on the ground while his free hand was in his pocket.

He gave Cao Cao a frown of annoyance.

"I can teleport too, you know." Issei said as he gripped the True Longinus with two hands and swung it towards Cao Cao.

But to his surprise, Cao Cao smirked and touched another orb of light, and disappeared from Issei's sight.

'So he's faster than an ordinary human, huh?' Issei noted in his thoughts.

Looking behind him, Issei glanced up to see Cao Cao staring down at him, a strange golden light emitting from the human's right eye.

Suddenly, Issei felt his body go stiff. He quickly looked down to see his legs starting to morph into stone.

'What's going on?!'

"Hahahahaha! It seems you're surprised, Solar God! Do you know about the Evil-eye?! Yes, the special power that is inside the eye! I had that planted in me a long time ago! I had it replaced with the eye I lost long ago! It's my new eye!"

'New eye?!'

Before Issei could react, his entire body suddenly turned into stone, allowing the True Longinus to crash onto the ground. Smirking widely, Cao Cao flew down towards Issei and picked the True Longinus up.

With his weapon back in his hand, Cao Cao positioned the spear and swung it towards Issei's arm, causing it to shatter into numerous pieces.

"It looks like you've been...disarmed!" Cao Cao sneered.

"..." Sirzechs blinked at Cao Cao's pun.

"..." Azazel shook his head and inwardly sighed.

"That was terrible." Hades commented, the only one to verbally acknowledge the pun.

Cao Cao ignored the God and held the True Longinus in front of the stoned Issei.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have a trip back to the human world to make. Farewell, Issei Hyoudou!"

The orbs floating around Cao Cao suddenly merged into a large sphere of energy and formed on the tip of the True Longinus. The orb then ejected itself towards Issei, causing the stoned young man to break apart, his body shattering all over the depths of Hades's realm.

Azazel and Sirzechs looked on in horror and shock. Issei Hyoudou had perished! A bout of emotions flooded through them, a feeling they couldn't concentrate on properly.

"Issei Hyoudou!" Sirzechs gasped out.

"..." Azazel didn't have anything to say.

How on Earth were they going to explain this to Ophis? Or even Great Red? Or Leiko Hyoudou? Or worse, even Amaterasu?

"Well Hades," Cao Cao began, his smirk widening to large proportions, "I believe I kept my end of the deal."

Hades narrowed his eyes darkly at the human. Cao Cao was too damn arrogant for his own good. The Olympian God looked at the shattered remains of the son of Amaterasu. He was almost certain that the Solar God would win, not that the God was actually rooting for him.

Pluto emerged just slightly from the shadows and looked over to Hades.

"My lord, shall I do away with the boy?"

Hades lifted up a bony finger to speak, until something started to move. The inhabitants of the Realm of the Dead looked down to see the shattered remains of Issei move about. The remains suddenly glided towards each other.

Cao Cao looked on in horror as the stones began to meld into a familiar shape. Suddenly, the flames of Hades' Realm began to draw to the stones as well. The God of the Dead looked on in mild interest as he realized that the flames of the dead were moving about towards the stones.

"N-no!" Cao Cao stuttered, "This can't be!"

Yes, it can.

The stone suddenly gained an organic shape, and began to form into a peach-skinned young man with brown hair and sharp brown eyes. His black V neck shirt, black trousers, and black shoes remained the same. However, in his hand was a blazing-like aura. The aura then formed into a dark-crimson, double-edged scythe with black outlines.

Cao Cao, Sirzechs, and Azazel looked on in amazement at the new scythe wielded by the regenerated young man.

Hades, however, narrowed his eyes as he peered at the scythe.

'Interesting. He obtained a crimson scythe as soon as he regenerated from Cao Cao's attack. Now the question is, is he going to use it?'

Hades' unheard question was answered shortly after. Issei looked at the scythe with a frown, and shook his head silently. The scythe morphed into energy and transported itself into Issei's body.

He would have to talk to someone about that later.

Locking eyes with Cao Cao, Issei teleported in front of him. Cao Cao jumped back in surprise, and was too late to react when Issei sent his hand quickly and pulled on the human's right eye.

"GUH!" Cao Cao choked out.

"...An eye for an eye my friend." Issei said quietly, before he pulled back.

"AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Cao Cao squealed at the indescribable amount of pain. He clutched where his right eye used to be, and grunted as he tried to prevent himself from losing it.

"My eye! My Medusa's eye!"

The human took a step back as his body trembled in pain. He held tight onto the True Longinus, his only line of defense.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Issei didn't respond as he glared at the human with great seriousness. He wasn't enraged, but he wasn't calm either. He was going through a full circle.

Cao Cao snarled as he directed the True Longinus towards Issei.

"You scum! You haven't won yet! It seems that you won't go down so easily! If that is the case then I will use Truth Idea!"

The human grabbed the Holy Spear with his trembling hands, and made a stance. Issei stood where he was, watching what Cao Cao was going to do.

"Spear. The true Holy-Spear which pierces through God. Suck the ambition of a king of domination sleeping within me, and pierce through the gap of blessing and destruction. You. Announce the will, and turn into a glow."

Immediately after, a light from the True Longinus glowed with immense power.

But suddenly, the light from the spear began to fade away. Cao Cao looked down in speechlessness, his confidence slowly dropping.

"Wha-what happened? It's not...activating?"

Although he didn't show it, Issei was genuinely curious as well. Why didn't the attack work?

Sighing, Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and looked towards Issei.

"I see. So that is your will. So you have picked the will of the Solar God over my ambition."

Hades, Sirzechs, and Azazel looked on in surprise.

Cao Cao's expression darkened as he looked at Issei.

"Truth Idea is related to the "will" of the God from the Bible, Issei Hyoudou."

At the mention of the very God who had fused with the manifestation of his anger, Issei lifted his head up as he payed more attention.

"The will of the deceased God," Cao Cao began moodily, "sucks the ambition of the holder of this spear, and by responding to how strong the opponent is, it creates many effects and miracles. That can be something with absolute power to destroy the opponent or a blessing to the opponent to capture their hearts. But the answer the Truth Idea gave to you...is resolve. Then it means that you won this match, and this spear wants to see your will over mine."

Issei was silent as he looked at the human.

As he looked down at Cao Cao and Issei, Hades narrowed his eyes. This battle was possibly one of the most interesting events he had observed. He could see why Death was interested in the son of Amaterasu.

Pluto, who had been resting during the entire battle, manifested next to Hades.

"Hades-dono? The son of Amaterasu has won. What shall I do?"

"...Let them go." Hades ordered.

"C-could you repeat that?" Pluto was caught off guard.

"You heard me, Pluto! Send the human, the son of Amaterasu, and the filthy Fallen Angels out of my Realm!"

Issei and Cao Cao widened their eyes at Hades' declare.

What on Earth was going on?

Pluto looked back and forth at his master and the two young men. He then moved closer to Hades and whispered to him.

"Hades-dono, I must insist-"

"Silence, Pluto. It surprises myself to say this but even in his base form, the son of Amaterasu could perhaps pose more than a challenge to you effortlessly."

"What?!" Pluto almost lost his cool, "The strength between him and Cao Cao is a large gap!"

"Do not talk back, Pluto! Issei Hyoudou is stronger than I anticipated. And this was without using the legendary Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, or his 'Solar' transformations. His strength is indeed well proportional."

If anyone could see Pluto's face, they probably would have laughed at the sight. The Grim Reaper was greatly shocked at Hades' apparent tolerance. What the hell was going on?

"Hades-dono-"

"Pluto, I'm only going to say this once. Issei Hyoudou, at his current state, could annihilate your existence and sent what remains of your soul all the way to Death's Domain. And you know how much she likes to torture her lost souls. For God's sake, she makes me look like a teddy bear."

"More like a bony teddy bea-OUCH!" Pluto mumbled to himself before Hades smacked him upside the head.

Sensing that his underling was going to quit talking, Hades moved his attention to Issei, who gazed back at him curiously.

"Son of Amaterasu," Hades began, "I've changed my mind. You, the Fallen Angels, and the Cao Cao human are free to go."

Issei stared unblinkingly at the God of the Dead, his facial features set in a serious look. What could have caused the change in Hades' decision?

Looking at his underling, Hades hit him on the back of the head again and pointed to the unconscious Raynare and Kalawarner.

"Get moving, Pluto. Send the Fallen Angels, Cao Cao, and Amaterasu's spawn back to their original world. I don't pay you to stand around!"

"...You don't pay me at all." Pluto muttered with an indignant lilt in his voice.

"Exactly." Hades countered.

Muttering under his breath, Pluto snapped his fingers, allowing a series of magical circles to emit from under Raynare, Kalawarner, Cao Cao, and Issei. Seconds later, they all disappeared, leaving Azazel and Sirzechs.

Hades noticed that the Devil and Fallen Angel were still standing in front of him, and snorted.

"What are you two fools waiting around for, a magic circle? Get the hell out of my realm!"

"Well, we don't want to come back here either." Azazel countered.

"Oh, shut up." Hades replied.

"You shut up." Sirzechs snapped back.

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Mansion : Living Room<strong>

Dark violet eyes fluttered until they shot wide open. Raynare rubbed her eyes and looked to see that she was on the couch. She blinked several times and looked over to see an equally shocked Kalawarner.

The two Fallen Angels looked around curiously, wondering what had happened.

"Wha- what the hell?" Raynare stuttered.

"Raynare-san! Kalawarner-san!"

The Fallen Angels turned to see Asia with a warm and cheerful smile on her face. The blonde human was holding a tray of food. Serving the food to the surprised Fallen Angels, Asia smiled wider.

"I'm so glad you two are back. Dohna-chin even said he wished you would come back here!"

"I did not! And quit calling me that! It's Dohnaseek!" The male Fallen Angel yelled out.

Asia responded with a giggle. Kalawarner crossed one leg over the other and frowned.

"How the hell did we get here?"

"You don't remember?" Said a familiar voice.

The women turned to see Azazel himself walk into the living room, accepting his cup of tea from Asia.

"Azazel-sama," Raynare began, "What happened?"

"What happened?" Azazel smiled in amusement, "Issei Hyoudou is what happened."

"Issei-kun?!" Raynare said in shock.

She hadn't seen the young boy in over six months. It's been a long time since she'd seen that little darling face of his.

"What did the kid do?" Kalawarner asked, crossing her arms.

"He saved you," Azazel smirked, "from the depths of Hades' realm."

"He did what?!" Raynare and Kalawarner shouted simultaneously.

Issei saved them? Even after all this time? Very slowly, the female Fallen Angels' faces began to glow a uncomfortable shade of red.

"Hmm," Asia hummed as she tapped her finger on her chin, "This Issei sounds like a hero, like Leiko-san said, doesn't he?"

"...Yeah." Raynare uttered out as her blush reddened.

"T-the kid sure is." Kalawarner stuttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Kuoh Academy - Issei's Classroom<strong>

Issei uttered out a sigh as he waited for his last class to end. He looked up to see the 'Above' (still in her second form), staring at him. Normally, he was used to this. However, there were instances where Issei could have sworn he heard the Omniversal Entity utter 'little darling'.

Issei looked around as he heard the class talking about the source of their gossip. The entity's second form. The class was so surprised that they weren't as uneasy around the 'Above' anymore, and were actually pleased to be in her presence.

Some students, however...

"Motohama! Is it just me, or did Noname-sensei get hotter?!"

The Solar God looked over to see the Perverted Duo gushing lecherously.

"I know," Motohama said with a wide grin, "And her oppai seems to have gotten even huger! I wonder what they feel like!"

"Guys..."

The Perverted Duo turned to see a bored Issei with one arm planted on his desk.

"Don't talk about the entity- I mean the teacher like that."

Matsuda and Motohama immediately glared at the 'new kid'.

"Don't give us that noble crap, new kid!" Matsuda sneered.

"Yeah! As far as we're concerned, you've probably never even seen a woman naked!" Motohama began, "Or at the very least, even touch some huge oppai!"

Issei rose an eyebrow at Motohama's claim. For one thing, he had seen Ophis, 666, and _Noname-sensei_ (the 'Above' entity) naked countless of times. But it's not like he actually wanted to tell the Perverted Duo that.

Unbeknownst to Issei, the 'Above' had listened to the entire conversation between the Perverted Duo and Issei. Her emotionless green eyes, enhanced by the red glasses on her face, set themselves onto Issei. A random thought erupted within her consciousness.

_RINGGGGGGGG_

The class immediately got out of their seats and ran out of the classroom door. Bringing his bag over his shoulder, Issei got ready to leave.

_CLICK_

Until he heard a clicking sound that is. Issei widened his eyes and walked over to the door. He shook the knob and widened his eyes further.

He was locked on the inside!

'What the hell?!'

"_...My little darling_."

Issei's heart almost stopped. The young man slowly turned around, revealing the 'Above' was the only one in the room. So that means...

'Wait. Little darling?'

The Omniversal Entity usually called him 'precious interest'. Where on Earth did 'little darling' come from?

Issei was in the biggest shock in his life when the 'Above' entity began to unbutton her dress shirt. Issei's brown eyes set themselves towards the window. Or...where the window used to be.

What the hell was going on? The 'Above' entity didn't want to jump him, did she?

"_Take a seat._"

"Huh?" Issei looked up at the sound of the entity's voice.

While taking off her dress shirt, the 'Above' moved her head to signal where she wanted Issei to sit. Issei looked behind him to see a large chair where the door used to be.

"But I-"

"_The homo sapiens stated that you have never touched the upper chest of a female mammal, correct?_"

"..." Issei decided not to answer.

Technically Ophis slept naked next to him, but Issei didn't want to give the 'Above' Entity any ideas.

"Well I-"

"_Either way_," the 'Above' interrupted as she walked over to Issei, "_I shall be the one to judge that claim_."

Issei then realized right then and there that the 'Above' entity's body was not only more well-developed in her second form, but she was actually taller than she was before. She now stood at a height of six-foot-four.

"What are you-"

Issei was cut off when the 'Above' pushed him onto the chair. Before he could even react, the 'Above' sauntered over to him and suddenly climbed onto him. Her deadpan expression unchanging, the 'Above' took her sweet time to remove her bra, allowing her large assets to make themselves known in Issei's sight.

It wasn't the fact that Issei was surprised to see her breasts. The source of the shock was that the 'Above' was so forceful in her methods to...

Wait. What the hell did she want him to do?

"_You may do as you wish. Pretend I am not here_."

Issei's head shot up quickly and looked up at the emotionless stare of the 'Above' entity. Seconds later, he resolved to take a deep breath and looked up at her face.

"What's this all about?" He asked, his genuine curiosity betraying his voice.

"_The Perverted homo sapiens believe that you have not come in physical contact with breasts before. That is why I am doing this. You may proceed when you are ready_."

...This wasn't normal. These primordial beings weren't normal. And Issei didn't like it. He was in the position that most men would've loved to be in. Here he was, in the situation of an opportunity to touch the large breasts of an omnipotent entity. Who was in the form of a hot teacher, no less.

"...No."

The 'Above' tilted her head at Issei's answer.

"_What is wrong_?"

Issei gave her a soft frown.

"I won't do it."

"_Shall I make them bigger? I do not mind_."

"No!" Issei said hurriedly, "Please don't. Anyway, that's not the point. It's not right."

The 'Above' tilted her head again, prompting Issei to explain.

"Look, I'm not obsessed with oppais like the Perverted Duo are. I have too much respect for women to do something like that."

"_I am genderless_." The 'Above' reminded him, "_I will not be offended. I do not mind. You may proceed to do as you wish_."

"But I-"

Before Issei could get his words out, the door to the classroom suddenly opened. Issei jumped and his eyes widened.

'Oh, god no!'

Matsuda dropped his backpack, while Motohama's glasses fell off his face and broke upon what he was looking at. Noname-sensei was straddling the new kid! With her huge oppai in the new kid's face, no less!

Matsuda, the jock of the Perverted Duo, pointed at Issei, his hand trembling.

"H-how?!"

Issei gulped down a nervous lump in his throat, while the 'Above' stared back impassively. Motohama picked up his shattered glasses and placed them on his head. He looked back at Matsuda, and the two nodded. Then they looked back at Issei and the 'Above' entity, and slowly nodded to them, before running out of the classroom.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Issei stared wide-eyed as he heard the Perverted Duo scream outside. He slowly looked up at the 'Above' entity who looked as though she had not even heard the screams of Matsuda and Motohama.

"_Ouroboros and I have come to a compromise_."

"?"

The 'Above' could already read the question on Issei's face, so she didn't hesitate in her answer.

"_Ophis has claimed you as its mate. Therefore, it is your wife. However, Ouroboros has allowed for me to become something that involves you_."

"..."

"_A wife-guard_."

"Huh?" Issei finally found his words.

"_A wife-guard_," The 'Above' repeated, "_A portmanteau of a female spouse and a bodyguard. Since I regularly monitor your presence, I have become rather protective and watchful over you, my little darling_."

Issei didn't know if he was lucky or if he was horribly screwed.

A wife-guard. And she was still calling him 'little darling'. Where on Earth did that pet name come from?

"Hey, Newby. I-"

At the sudden call of his nickname, Issei looked up at the familiar voice. Genshirou Saji had wide eyes as his hand stuck onto the classroom door. His grey eyes trembled, while his lips seemed to be twitching ever so slightly.

"Saj-" Issei tried to say.

"GODDAMN IT, NEWBY!"

* * *

><p><strong>Svargam (Hindu Mythology of Heaven)<strong>

"It seems you've been _blinded_ from the truth, Cao Cao. The son of Amaterasu is indeed powerful."

"Don't remind me, Lord of Heaven."

Indra, the King of the Gods and Lord of Heaven of the Hindu world, sneered as he crossed his arms. He had a buzz-cut hairstyle, circular sunglasses, an aloha shirt, and a jewel around his neck.

The Hindu God was surprised to see that Cao Cao had managed to escape from the Realm of the Dead. Moreover, he was mildly interested to know that Cao Cao had managed to come in contact with the son of Amaterasu; the Shinto sun goddess.

Judging by fact that Cao Cao only had one eye, Indra deduced that Amaterasu's son had given Cao Cao the beating of a lifetime.

"Either way," Indra began with a sigh, "I'm impressed that you escaped from the realm of Hades."

Cao Cao's lips trembled in irritation.

"I didn't escape."

"...You're clearly standing in front of me."

"No!" Cao Cao almost shouted, "I didn't escape. The God of the Dead let me and Issei Hyoudou go."

"He released you from his Realm?" Indra said in confusion.

"It makes sense."

At the sound of the voice, Cao Cao turned around to see a two meters tall man with a well-built body.

"What makes sense, Heracles?"

Heracles, the descendant of the Greek hero Hercules, scoffed as he crossed his arms.

"Your loss against the puny Solar God. It makes sense that you couldn't beat him because he was obviously much more powerful than you. The fact that he didn't even have to transform proves my theory."

"What, you think you could defeat him?"

"Humph. What the hell kind of question is that? What's he gonna do, burn me to death? As if."

"Don't be cocky, Heracles." Indra rebuked the man, "Don't forget, the son of Amaterasu is a God as well. Given what Cao Cao has told me, he too might give you a run for your money."

"...Funny." Heracles deadpanned.

"I'm not trying to be funny." Indra said with an annoyed tone, "I'm merely warning you. But it's not like you'll listen to me."

"You know me so well, your Hindu Majesty."

"Watch your tone, insolent brat."

"It still doesn't make any sense." Cao Cao muttered.

Heracles and Indra put off their argument for the time being and moved their attention to Cao Cao.

"What are you going on about?" Heracles asked.

Cao Cao remained silent as he held the True Longinus in his hands. The Holy Spear. The most powerful Sacred Gear, with the ability to decimate Devils and Gods alike.

And yet...it barely stabbed through the one known as Issei Hyoudou.

"How is it possible that the Solar God was unaffected by the powers of the True Longinus? I stabbed him with it, and he didn't even acknowledge the pain. Or perhaps it didn't even hurt him at all. Then after I turned him to stone with Medusa's eye, I used the strongest ability of the True Longinus to destroy him. But not even that attack was a success."

Indra put his hand under his chin in a pondering manner. If what Cao Cao was saying was true, then the son of Amaterasu was far stronger than he had anticipated.

'And then that scythe,' Cao Cao murmured in his thoughts, 'Where on Earth did he get that scythe? It appeared right after he regenerated. The flames on that scythe...did it come from Issei's solar energy? Or did it come from the very depths of the Realm of the Dead?'

"Hmm," Indra hummed, "The son of Amaterasu has become the subject of us deities for a long time. The Shinto, Greek, and Hindu factions have all heard about him. After all, Amaterasu isn't a lesser known deity."

"When you say Hindu faction," Heracles began, "Do you also mean Shiva the God of Destruction?"

At the mention of the other Hindu deity, Indra adopted a vicious and malicious look. The God of Destruction was Indra's eternal rival, and for years the latter had been gathering a group of warriors in order to combat Shiva. At the moment though, he wasn't prepared. Not even in the slightest.

Long ago, he had considered asking the Dragon with the power of Infinite and the Dragon of Dreams. But as most of the supernatural knew, the Ouroboros Dragon and the Apocalypse Dragon didn't give a rat's ass about anything or anyone other than themselves.

They didn't care about the conflicts of the supernatural. Plus, Indra knew that all Ophis and Great Red ever did was argue in the Dimensional Gap. He had heard rumors that the two Dragons apparently 'hung out' with the son of Amaterasu, but he immediately threw that logic out the window.

After all, how could a lower being such as Issei Hyoudou ever hope to make friends with the two strongest Dragons in existence? It was completely ludicrous.

Indra narrowed his eyes as his thoughts drifted off else where. He couldn't just go along with Cao Cao's analysis of Issei Hyoudou's strength. He had to find out how strong the son of Amaterasu was. But how?

He certainly had no desire to fight Issei. A weakling like him stood no chance against a Hindu God. It would be complete child's play. So how could he decipher how powerful Issei truly was? Visiting him on Earth would be a waste of his time.

Then suddenly, Indra's eyes lifted up just slightly. His lips curled upwards into a grin as he looked at Cao Cao and Heracles.

"What the hell are you smiling about? You have a plan or something?" Heracles muttered.

"Oh, you have no idea," Indra smirked, "Heracles, how does a tournament sound?"

"...A tournament?" The descendant of Hercules asked in confusion and curiosity, "That consists of what exactly?"

Indra's smirk widened as he chuckled.

"A tournament of the Gods, of course."

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's MansionHeadquarters**

"Kalawarner. You got any threes?"

"..."

"Raynare, do _you_ have any threes?"

"..."

"Raynare! Kalawarner!"

The two aforementioned Fallen Angels jumped up in surprise and turned their heads to see an irate Dohnaseek. The male Fallen Angel was holding a pair of cards. It appeared that he was the only one who was participating in the human game known as 'Go Fish'.

"You two have been quiet ever since you came back here! What the hell is going on?!"

Raynare glared at the Fallen Angel and crossed her arms.

"It's none of your business! We're just a bit riled up from yesterday, that's all."

Dohnaseek returned the glare and moved his attention to Kalawarner.

"Well, what's your excuse?"

"If you're accusing me of making an excuse," Kalawarner snarked as she narrowed her eyes, "Then why on Earth do I need to say anything to you at all?"

"Don't be a smart-ass." Dohnaseek deadpanned.

"I'm not being an ass. I'm just being smart, dumbass." Kalawarner countered.

"I'm not being an ass, I'm just being-" Dohnaseek mocked before he cut himself off for a moment, prompting Kalawarner to smile.

"What's the matter? Aren't you going to finish your sentence?" Kalawarner smirked.

"...Well played." The male Fallen Angel gave up all logic and looked at his cards.

Feeling a bit of satisfaction, Kalawarner moved her attention to Raynare, and noticed how quiet she was being.

"You're thinking about him too, right?" She asked Raynare.

The Fallen Angel slowly nodded and sighed.

"Yeah," Raynare placed her hand on her cheek, "It's just that it's been so long since I've seen Issei-kun. What with his tendency to stay away from the supernatural and us following orders from Azazel-sama, I barely get to see him anymore."

"Humph. Don't tell me you got feelings for the kid." Dohnaseek scoffed.

"So what if I do?" Raynare said defensively, prompting the male Fallen Angel to give her a look.

"Do I really have to say it?"

"Say what?"

"aynare, how old is the Solar brat?"

"Well, it's been six months, so he should still be around seventeen or eighteen."

"And how old are you?"

"Oh, no." Kalawarner said as she palmed her face, already knowing what was about to happen.

It was a personal pet peeve for Raynare when someone asked her how old she was. As she was Raynare's comrade and closest friend, Kalawarner knew exactly why the Fallen Angel grew irritated when someone mentioned her age. And now Dohnaseek was going to pay.

Raynare's face flushed in anger and embarrassment.

"What the hell kind of question is that?!"

"Just answer the question." Dohnaseek sighed.

"No!"

"So by your refusal to admit your age, you're admitting that you're far too old for that Issei Hyoudou brat. What would that make you, a Fallen cougar or something?"

Kalawarner looked back and forth between Raynare and Dohnaseek. She lifted a finger up in an attempt to placate the two Fallen Angels until Raynare spoke up.

"Kalawarner. Give me five minutes alone with Dohnaseek."

"Ray-" Kalawarner tried one more time.

"Oh don't get your panties in a bunch, Raynare." Dohnaseek rolled his eyes.

"...Make that ten minutes." Raynare narrowed her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Kuoh Academy<strong>

It would be a tremendous understatement to say that Genshirou Saji was angry at the young man known as Issei Hyoudou; or as the former normally dubbed him, "Newby". In spite of Issei's tendency to keep to himself, Saji truly considered Issei to be one of his closest friends. After all, he was the first person to actually have a full conversation with Issei since the day they first met.

But now, Saji didn't know if he could be even more angry at his best friend. Similar to the Sun, Issei seemed to have a radiant aura that attracted many beings to him. Now Saji wouldn't have minded that.

What he did mind was that the beings Issei unintentionally attracted, were extremely powerful entities. Except for the Dragon with an obsessive motorcycle fetish, most of the powerful beings immediately took a liking to Issei. And they all took the form of a female.

It honestly confused Saji to no end. How was it possible for a former shut-in like Issei, to unintentionally charm powerful entities? Was it his personality? Was it the power of the Sun? What the hell was it?

Saji took a deep breath as he recovered from angrily shouting out the everlasting nickname of his best friend. In the back of his mind, he sincerely hoped that Sona and the others didn't hear his squawk of rage, or else the Sitri Devil would reprimand him.

Recovering slowly, Saji stood up straight and glared at the shocked Issei and the voluptuous and very tall woman sitting right on top of him. The pawn of Sona Sitri considered it a valiant effort to ignore the woman's rather huge 'assets'.

In spite of that, he couldn't help but shiver at the cold and emotionless stare the woman was giving him. Although the woman was clearly far from being unattractive, the deadpan look she was giving Saji creeped the young man out a little.

'Damn, she's creepier than Ophis! And that's saying a lot!' Saji thought.

"Newby," Saji began quietly, "I thought we were friends."

Issei widened his eyes at Saji's words. Lifting his head up, Issei winced when he bumped into the 'Above' entity's left breast. Amidst Saji's screaming, he had forgotten that the entity was topless.

Removing himself from the suffocation, Issei regained a few breaths and looked over to Saji.

"Saji-san, I can explain."

"Why is it," Saji ignored his friend's words, "That every time I see you, you're with another freaking powerful being?! You're like eye-candy to these entities."

"_He is not eye-candy._" The 'Above' stated in her monotonic voice.

Saji shuddered at the entity's cold voice.

'Her voice is even more unfeeling than Ophis' too!'

"Oh yeah," Saji hesitatingly lifted up a fist, "Then what is he?!"

"_He is my precious interest._"

Issei couldn't help but inwardly sigh in relief. At least the 'Above' entity wasn't calling him-

"_He is also my little darling._"

Goddamn it.

"Yep," Saji said as he put his hand on the classroom door, "I think I'm done here."

The pawn of Sona sighed and exited out of the classroom. Before he closed the door, however, he stuck his head in.

"I'll see you later, Newby." said Saji, departing off somewhere else.

"...All right, Saji." Issei said as he began to think about something.

As he watched Saji walk out of the classroom, Issei looked up at the 'Above' entity in great confusion. Out of all the powerful beings he had come in contact with, the 'Above' was still an enigma to Issei. All he really knew about the entity was that it was the creator and progenitor of the Omniverse and the aspect of existence.

The 'Above' tilted her head to the side as she neared her face closer to Issei's own.

"_The look on your face indicates that you are confused. What is the source of your confusion_?"

"It's just that," Issei began in hesitance, "You don't have to be my 'wife-guard'. You don't need to be either. To be honest, I really don't deserve to have a powerful being like you to-"

Issei was cut off when the 'Above' suddenly placed her hands on his cheeks. The 'Above' entity's lips were almost near his own. The warm breath from her lips contrasted greatly from her expressionless face.

"_I am aware that I do not have to act as your wife-guard. I am also aware that it is not a necessity for me to do so. However..._"

Issei didn't know if he was imagining things, but he could've sworn he detected a bit of 'emotion' within the entity's tone. No, it couldn't be. He was probably just hallucinating things.

"_This is an occupation I **want** to do. I desire to act as your wife-guard_."

...Well, now he knew he definitely wasn't imagining things.

"But why?" Issei asked.

The 'Above' stared motionless, her emotionless eyes boring themselves into Issei's brown eyes.

"_You are my precious interest_."

Leaning forward, she planted her lips onto Issei's cheek. Seconds later the 'Above' entity felt her body go stiff. Her 'heart' within the form she took, beat rapidly. The entity maintained her expressionless face, however, the sensations flooding within her body said differently.

Releasing her lips from Issei, the 'Above' leaned back and tilted her head to the side again. Issei still appeared to be uneasy about her decision.

"_You are worried_." The entity observed.

"You're the creator and overseer of the Omniverse," Issei began, "I just don't want you to put anymore pressure on yourself. Isn't maintaining the Omniverse a tough job for yo-"

He was cut off again when the 'Above' lightly tapped him on the head with her fist. Seconds later, the entity uncurled her hand and rubbed Issei's hair softly. This confused Issei even more. How was he able to induce affection from an entity who was far more emotionless than Ophis?

"_It is no trouble for me. I am omnipresent_."

"Huh?"

"_I am able to exist everywhere in any location I choose. That is how I am able to observe the Multiverse and every other Universe. It is not a problem for me. So do not worry_."

_BEEP BEEP_

At the sound of his phone, Issei reached into his pocket and took out the device out. He took a second for his sight to adjust as he read the message.

_Are you ready Ise-itoko?_

_I'm at the Soup Stock._

The young man smiled at the message his cousin sent him. Earlier today, Leiko had contacted him and suggested they go out for lunch together.

"_What time will you be home? You need to inform me so I can prepare dinner._"

Issei looked up at the 'Above' entity and shook his head rapidly as he sent Leiko his text response message.

"You don't have to cook anything. I usually cook dinner for Ophis and I anyway. And besides, there's leftovers at home, too."

"..."

Issei then realized that the 'Above' was still close up in his face. The entity appeared to have a habit of getting in his personal space.

"Um. Not to be rude but...could you lean back a little?"

"_No_."

* * *

><p><strong>Soup Stock Stand<strong>

"It's such a long line, Leiko-san."

"You know what that means, my Ise-itoko?" Leiko said with an eager tone, "It means that the soup stand is really popular."

Issei widened his eyes and looked behind him to see a large crowd looking at the menus. It had only been about 10 minutes, but neither Issei and Leiko were even close to the front of the line.

GRUGHGHGH

Leiko rose an eyebrow and looked at her quiet cousin. She smiled as she hit him playfully.

"You must be really hungry, huh?"

"Well," Issei began as he shrugged, "You said this stand serves the best soup around Japan, so I didn't want to eat anything before."

Leiko's smile widened as she crossed her arms.

"Ise-itoko, there's something I should tell you about this place. The one who makes the soup has a very strict procedure."

"Huh?" Issei asked in confusion.

"Listen," Leiko said in a warning tone, "As soon as you walk into this place, you must decide your order before you even come in contact with the soup maker. When you come up to her, say your order, put your money on the counter, move to where the cashier is, and wait for your food."

"Is there anything else I have to do, Leiko-san?" Issei asked, marveled by what Leiko was telling him.

"I-" Leiko tried to begin.

"Next in line!" A shrill voice shouted.

Leiko and Issei turned around to see a woman who appeared to be in her early 40's. She seemed to be glaring ominously at Leiko. Leiko saw this and began her procedure.

"Watch me, Ise-itoko." She whispered to her younger cousin.

Doing exactly as she told Issei, Leiko walked up to the soup maker.

"Butajiru." The older Hyoudou began as she placed her money on the counter.

She then walked over to the cashier and waited for her food. She looked back at Issei, making sure he was watching her.

"Next in line!" The soup woman shouted out.

Taking a deep breath, Issei did the same procedure, ordering ramen with the Chāshū topping. Leiko smiled in relief at her cousin's ability to learn instantly. As she walked with Issei, she looked into her bag, and pulled out a fortune cookie. Issei noticed this and blinked several times.

"You ordered fortune cookies too, Leiko-san?"

"No," Leiko said as she put the cookie back in her bag, "They give you one for free. I think it's customary."

Widening his eyes in curiosity, Issei looked into his bag, and his eyes lowered somewhat.

"I didn't get a fortune cookie."

Leiko went to speak up until she noticed the ominous stare from the soup woman. Feeling a little creeped out, Leiko pulled on her younger cousin's V neck collar.

"Just forget it, Ise-itoko. Let it go. We can share mine."

"Um, excuse me," A middle-aged man spoke up to the cashier, "I didn't get a fortune cookie."

"Fortune cookie is two-dollars extra." The soup woman said.

"But...those two in front of me got free fortune cookies." The man said, alluding to Issei and Leiko.

The soup woman widened her eyes and sent a snap towards her cashier. Noticing this, the cashier snatched the man's bag of food and handed his money back, prompting the man to give a look of shock.

Issei stared wide-eyed as his older cousin dragged him out of the soup stand.

"Oh my god." He finally uttered out.

"Yeah I know," Leiko said, her sympathy for the man completely nonexistent, "The soup's delicious, isn't it?"

Leiko took a sip of her soup and looked to see Issei giving her a look of disbelief.

"I'm not talking about the soup, Leiko-san. I'm talking about that guy losing his food."

"Well, he should've let the fortune cookie thing go."

"..."

Leiko noticed her younger cousin's silence and rose an eyebrow.

"That doesn't make me a bad person for saying that, does it?"

"Yes," Issei said, nodding his head, "Yes it does make you a bad person."

Leiko rolled her eyes and hit Issei lightly on the head.

"Just eat your ramen, Ise-itoko."

"..."

"Don't give me-"

Leiko cut herself off when she noticed something odd. Issei noticed his cousin's stare and turned to see an extremely tall man staring right at him and Leiko. The young man immediately grew suspicious. As far as he could sense, the two meters tall man was a Human.

But he was strong too.

"Ise-itoko..." Leiko began in hesitance, "Do you know that guy? He's looking right at you."

Before Issei could answer, the tall man suddenly disappeared. Seconds later, Leiko had the shock of her life right in front of her. The man appeared in front of Leiko, and his body started to glow with great power. He drew his left fist up, and sent it towards Leiko.

_"VARIANT DETONATION!"_

_DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNN_

A bright and vast explosion was released, causing a series of nearby vehicles to soar across the area. As the light cleared, the smoke from the explosion faded away, revealing an unharmed Leiko.

As the elder Hyoudou opened her crimson-ruby eyes, she widened them further when she saw Issei in front of her, holding his arms out to the side.

'Ise-itoko!'

He had saved her again!

"Are you all right, Leiko-san?" Issei asked, his voice now serious.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine."

Nodding to her, Issei placed his hand on Leiko's shoulder, before the elder Hyoudou suddenly disappeared.

He had sent Leiko to her home, so he couldn't risk anything else.

"Humph. You're a lot stronger than I expected, son of Amaterasu."

Issei looked up at the tall man and glowered at him. The world of the supernatural loved him so much, didn't it?

"In spite of what I have just done, I did not come here to fight a weakling such as yourself."

"Who the hell are you?" Issei asked quietly.

"Someone you shouldn't underestimate." Heracles sneered.

SLAM

"GAH!"

Heracles gasped as he took a harsh knee to the stomach. The descendant of Hercules stumbled back as he controlled himself to not rip the son of Amaterasu to shreds.

'That stupid brat! His kick felt like one of my own! Perhaps, even more! No! What am I saying!"

"I wouldn't do that again if I were you, Solar God." Heracles snarled.

"I wouldn't have done anything if you hadn't tried to hurt my cousin. And you're obviously not me, so I guess I will do it again." Issei countered.

Heracles sent Issei a harsh glower.

"You're about five seconds from me tearing you apart!"

"And you, have one second to get away from my darling mate. Before I pull your eye out and turn it around, forcing you to watch yourself die."

Heracles scoffed and turned around. His eyes immediately widened as he looked at who was the speaker of that emotionless yet dangerous voice.

It was a large-breasted woman with long black hair, pointed ears, and dark-gray eyes. Aside from her ears, the only thing that stood out of the woman's otherwise normal clothing, was the Gothic Lolita headpiece that was perched upon her head.

"The Ouroboros Dragon?!" Heracles shouted in disbelief.

He turned back to Issei with a shocked look on his face.

"And it called _you_ its mate?!"

That was impossible! The Ouroboros Dragon had declared the son of Amaterasu...as its mate?! How could that be?! According to Indra, Ophis was supposed to be present within the Dimensional Gap. But then again...Indra was never that much involved with the supernatural. So was the Hindu God...unaware of what happened all those months ago?

"Tch!" Heracles clicked his tongue, "It appears I have overstayed my welcome."

A glowing aura surrounded Heracles. He then turned his dark gaze towards Issei, before he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. Narrowing his eyes, Heracles showed it to Issei, and dropped it on the ground.

"A letter from the Hindu God." Heracles mocked as he transmitted away.

Issei glared at the spot where Heracles was and picked up the envelope. He considered tearing it to shreds, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"My Issei."

The young man looked up to see Ophis descending towards him.

"Oph-" Issei could barely get his words out.

Ophis roughly snatched Issei, grabbing him by his V neck shirt. Her dark-gray eyes seemed to be fierce in spite of her emotionless voice.

"We, need to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Apartment: Living Room<strong>

"Issei. I, am not happy with you."

Although it normally didn't seem like it, the married couple relationship sort of applied to the relationship between Issei and Ophis. Whenever Issei screwed up, Ophis would be blunt and let him have it. And boy...

Did she let him have it.

Issei sat silently on the couch as he watched Ophis pace the floor. He had a feeling he knew what Ophis was so upset about.

Stopping in her pace, Ophis turned to look at her mate.

"Your battle with the human. In Hades' Realm."

'With Cao Cao?' Issei said in his thoughts as he blinked, 'Why is Ophis mad about that? Wait, how did she even know about that?'

As though she had heard the question in Issei's thoughts, Ophis narrowed her eyes.

"The Omniversal Entity is omnipresent. She witnessed your fight with Cao Cao and relayed what had happened. That is why I am not happy."

Issei widened his eyes in surprise.

"But Ophis, no one died in our battle. Everyone's still alive."

"That is not the point."

"Huh?"

But then...Issei saw it. Ophis' narrowed eyes seemed to lift up in worry. There were also a bit of tears flowing from her eyes. At the sight, Issei immediately got up and walked over to the Ouroboros Dragon.

"Ophis..."

The Infinite Dragon God frowned at her mate.

"Medusa's eye. It turned you into stone. It turned MY Issei into stone. That irksome human used the final ability of his Sacred Gear to..."

Issei sighed inwardly as he remembered. The most powerful ability of the True Longinus had destroyed him. Or that's what Cao Cao thought what happened. Issei himself was surprised as well. He honestly thought he was done for when that attack hit him. But somehow...he regenerated from the flames of Hades' Realm.

"Ophis, I-"

"But," Ophis interrupted him, "You were able to regenerate and reanimate yourself. I, do not understand how you were able to do that."

"...I really don't either." Issei admitted.

"I, do not like it when you are in danger, my Issei. It worries me."

"I'm sorry, Ophis." Issei said somberly, "I really am. I don't mean to worry you, I really don't."

The Infinite Dragon God hugged her mate tightly, and Issei sighed as he felt the flood of emotions that coursed through Ophis. He really should've been more careful when dealing with Cao Cao. He needed to expect the unexpected as well. The world of the supernatural always had a way of disrupting whatever time he tried to spend with Ophis, Leiko, Great Red, and the others.

"From now on, I, shall accompany you wherever you go."

"But Ophis, I don't want you to-"

"That is too bad then, my Issei." Ophis interrupted with an air of finality.

The young man loved Ophis. And he was glad the Dragon God loved him too. He just didn't want Ophis to get hurt, especially if it was because of what he was involuntarily involved in.

"All right," Issei conceded, "But Ophis, you don't-"

"Be silent my mate," Ophis said, "I will not change my decision."

And Issei knew. He knew. The Ouroboros Dragon's resolution would remain true.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Bedroom<strong>

As he was trapped within Ophis' embrace, Issei looked up at his bedroom ceiling. He just couldn't sleep. The letter Heracles gave him was keeping him awake. He hadn't even opened it yet, and somehow it was bothering him.

The young man looked over to his sleeping wife and smiled softly. Very quietly, he went to kiss her on the forehead, and felt a bit relieved when he saw Ophis smile in her sleep.

Sighing, Issei looked to the other side, and he swore if Ophis and the other residents of the apartments weren't asleep, he would have screamed his head off.

The 'Above' entity was laying right next to him on the opposite side where Ophis laid. Issei cursed silently at how the 'Above' could be so quiet. As he shook himself to catch his breath, Issei sighed again.

Noticing his distress, the 'Above' lifted her hand up and rubbed Issei's hair gently. Issei appreciated the intimate contact, and looked up at the entity.

"You couldn't sleep either, huh?"

"_I do not sleep_."

Issei widened his eyes and rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"Wait, if you don't sleep then what do you usually do at night?"

"_I watch you sleep._"

"..."

Well that was unnecessarily blunt. Issei suddenly felt claustrophobic. The 'Above' entity stared at him while he slept? Well, that wasn't creepy at all.

The 'Above' entity's emotionless green eyes bored themselves onto Issei, prompting the young man to shudder. Now he was never going to be able to go to sleep. Unless...

Gathering his hopes up, Issei sent his attention to the entity, who stared back with her usual deadpan expression.

"Um," Issei began, "Could you please stop staring at me?"

"_No_."

...Well, it was worth a shot.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's it for this chapter. So what do you guys think about the story so far?<strong>

**Anyway, please stay tuned for the next chapter of High ****School DxD: Rise of the Solar God!**


	23. Strange Day

If Issei hadn't stirred himself awake in the middle of the night, he probably would have never even noticed the sight in front of him.

Brown eyes fluttered slowly, and opened wide. Issei blinked several times in order to clear his vision. He looked around to see that Ophis and the 'Above' entity were not present with him. Blinking again, Issei sat up and rubbed his eyes, wondering where the two powerful beings were.

Usually, Ophis held onto him like a snake, while the 'Above' entity monitored his presence while he slept. Unblinkingly, Issei might add.

Issei got up from his bed and yawned tiredly. He looked over at his counter, and picked up his black V-neck shirt and trousers. Before leaving his room, he looked over to see his Kuoh Academy dress shirt. Shrugging in nonchalance, he placed the shirt over his dark V-neck shirt, and stopped when he was done.

The young man frowned as he noticed the color difference between the Kuoh Academy dress shirt and his regular clothing. He had no idea why, but the difference between the colors seemed to bother him.

Issei looked over on his bed table to see the envelope Heracles had given to him. The young man tightened his fists at the memory of the Human trying to attack Leiko. The memory always appeared to him whenever he looked at the letter.

Sighing, Issei opened the envelope and pulled out a letter. His brown eyes widened slightly as he looked at it closely.

"What's this? A tournament of the Gods. Hosted by Indra?"

Who on Earth was Indra?

_RING RING_

The sound of the phone rang through Issei's ears and he picked the device up.

_Ise-itoko?_

Issei quickly sat up straight at the sound of Leiko's voice.

"Leiko-san. Are you all right?"

_Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm just a little shaken, that's all._

The young man sighed and rubbed his head.

_Ise-itoko, who was that guy?_

"...I don't know who that guy was, Leiko-san. But somehow, he obviously knew something about me."

_People just won't leave you alone. __What happened to the guy anyway?_

Issei smiled as he looked around his room.

"Ophis scared him away."

The young man felt a sense of relief when he heard Leiko chuckle a bit.

_That sounds like something Ophis would do._

"..."

_Ise-itoko, what are you gonna do? Every time you try to keep to yourself, the supernatural or something abnormal has a way of finding you. Why can't you have a perfect life?_

"Because perfection doesn't exist, Leiko-san. There's no such thing as perfection." Issei answered solemnly.

_Issei..._

"I'm fine, Leiko-san." Issei reassured his older cousin, "I'm gonna try to get some sleep."

_...Sweet dreams._

And then she hung up.

Issei blew out a sigh and looked at the letter again.

Narrowing his eyes, Issei went to tear the letter to shreds, until he noticed something strange. Issei walked out of his room and headed towards the stairs. He walked further to look at his desktop, until he caught sight of something extraordinary. His eyes widening just a bit, Issei walked over to the window, and looked outside.

Fragile silver crystals descended towards the ground, one growing by the next. Issei looked on silently, watching the infinite piles of snowflakes fall down. The season of winter wasn't a particular favorite of Issei's.

It always got too cold for him. It also affected his body chemistry to a degree. During winter, the Sun's rays hit the Earth at a shallow angle and were more spread out. Because of this, the amount of energy Issei could absorb was minimal.

Remaining silent, Issei looked up at the sky, trying to find out where the snowflakes came from. Even though he was so far up from the ground, he couldn't see where the snowflakes were floating from.

Sighing, Issei walked away from his desktop and went over to the door. He stopped himself, still wondering where Ophis and the 'Above' entity were. If he knew them, the Ouroboros Dragon was probably in the Dimensional Gap, and the Omniversal entity was 'resting' in the Omniverse.

* * *

><p>Issei sighed again and opened the door, walking out of his apartment. When he stepped outside, the cold breeze immediately attacked him. He almost thought of transforming into the first evolution of his Solar transformation. But the risk of exhausting his energy needlessly made him think twice about it.<p>

The young man put his hands in his pockets and breathed out a frosty breath. In the back of his mind, he wanted to go back inside, but something made him stop.

"Yo, Issei Hyoudou!"

At the call of his name, Issei looked over to see Azazel walking towards him in a long coat. The Fallen Angel wore a hat and black gloves, allowing him complete warmth.

"Azazel?"

He didn't expect to meet Azazel while the snowflakes fell down.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask the same thing about you, Solar God. I never thought the Sun would ever have to 'chill out'."

Issei smiled at the joke and crossed his arms.

"How are Raynare-san and Kalawarner-san doing? Are they all right?"

"Yeah, they're all right. Last time I saw them, Raynare was beating the living hell out of Dohnaseek, while Kalawarner watched and ate popcorn."

"Did Dohnaseek say anything offensive?"

"Who knows? Either way, he's scared of Raynare now."

"That's a shame."

The cold breeze surrounding Issei's penthouse apartment brought shivers to the young man and the Fallen Angel. Aside from the pitter-patter of the snowflakes falling onto the ground, it was completely silent.

"There's a good event coming up, Issei Hyoudou. Thought you'd be interested to hear it."

"What kind of event?"

"It's a tournament."

"A tournament?"

Azazel smirked and pulled something out of his pocket.

"Yeah, an event will be held among my organization soon. So I want to call you in as a guest."

"Why would you do that?" Issei asked.

The young man always tried to stay away from the supernatural. The world always had a way of finding him. It was as though the world of the supernatural _wanted_ him to be involved.

"What? You don't consider us friends?"

"I didn't say that," Issei put his hands up in defense, "I'm just wondering why you would invite me to an event like this?"

"To be honest, there are some Fallen Angel beauties who want to see you fight. And plus, they got some huge oppai."

"That last part doesn't sound relevant, Azazel."

Azazel rolled his eyes and revealed a photo of beautiful older women with black wings, who posed in seductive gestures. Issei looked at the pictures for a moment, before he shrugged nonchalantly.

The Fallen Angel rose an eyebrow at the Solar God.

"What? You don't like them?"

"They're just pictures. What's there to like?"

"Well I mean, look at their oppai! Don't you find them fascinating?"

"...You're weird." Issei said as he shook his head.

"Takes one to know one, Issei Hyoudou. I'm actually a little jealous of you. You're the mate of a Dragon God with the body measurements: B105 W60 H94."

Issei frowned in response.

"Dude, that's my wife."

"Then there's that extremely tall woman with black hair, green eyes, and that dead in the face look."

"Azazel-"

"I've noticed that her body measurements are: B108 W65 H99."

"What is wrong with you?!" Issei almost shouted out to the Fallen Angel.

"Mgh! Azazel! I have told you! Issei Hyoudou belongs to our side!"

Issei and Azazel turned to see a familiar crimson-haired man. Issei's face remained calm, while Azazel clicked his tongue.

"Chi! Looks like the Maou-sama came! Fuhahahahahaha! Farewell!" Azazel cackled as he left Issei.

"He sure is a man I can't take my eyes off." Sirzechs said, "He was almost going to turn you into a participant for the Fallen Angels."

"...What do you mean I'm on your side? I'm not a Devil."

"I know, Issei Hyoudou. But allow me to explain it to you, once Rias' entire group assembles."

"Your sister? "

* * *

><p><strong>Occult Research Club<strong>

"Issei Hyoudou. It's good to see you again." Rias greeted Issei.

"Hnn." Issei nodded in courtesy.

He didn't hang out that much with the Devils. Aside from Saji, Issei rarely made an effort to communicate with the other Devils. He also didn't feel familiar with the lesser known Devils.

The young man looked over to see Rias, Akeno, Yuuto, Sirzechs, and Koneko. Next to them was a young woman with long, light brown hair tied into twin side ponytails, each held with a blue scrunchy, and violet eyes. Beside her was a young woman with short, blue hair with a green fringe in the middle and dark yellow eyes.

"Oh Issei," Rias began, "I almost forgot I never introduced you to everyone else. These two are Irina and Xenovia."

Irina Shidou smiled as she looked at Issei, while Xenovia nodded quietly to him. Issei nodded in respect to them, but he couldn't help but feel a little put off by the look on Xenovia's face.

"It's nice to meet you!" Irina cheerfully said, "I hope we can be friends."

"A God spending time with Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils. That's strange." Xenovia muttered.

'It's not by choice.' Issei thought.

The young man shrugged and looked over to Sirzechs.

"So this tournament?"

"Yes. To be on friendlier terms with the other members of the Three Great Powers, it was decided that we will use the sport of fighting to achieve greater cohesion. So we will be having a tournament, or in other words a sports-fighting day."

"And what does this have to do with me?" Issei asked.

"Ah, I was told about the day earlier, from Heaven." Irina said as she put her hand up.

Although momentarily put off by his question being ignored, Issei rose an eyebrow at Irina's statement.

'So she's an Angel. huh?'

"Of course, I want all of you to take part as participants for the Devils. This is an important exchange of culture. So I really wish for the cooperation of Rias Gremory's group. With Issei Hyoudou at the top as the Solar God and on our side, the Devils will be extremely popular in the Underworld."

"What are you talking about, Sirzechs? And what was Azazel asking me about?" Issei asked suspiciously.

"Most likely, he was trying to lure you to their side and make you take part as a participant for the Fallen Angels. Your popularity and the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi seem like they will give influence to the activities after all. Geez, that Governor sure acts fast at strange points. Grayfia told me that something might happen, so I came to check on you on my day off. And she was right."

"Well you don't have to worry about me siding with the Fallen Angels, because I'm not joining the tournament." Issei said with a frown.

The Devils widened their eyes at Issei's response.

"Y-you don't want to participate?" Rias stuttered.

"Why would I? I'm not an Angel, a Devil, or a Fallen Angel. Am I even allowed to go to this thing?"

"Well," Irina began, "I'm sure you are. I'm sure Gabriel-sama and Michael-sama would allow you to come and participate in the tournament. The people in Heaven have heard about you as well."

"..."

"Come to think of it, I've noticed that every time Gabriel-sama hears your name or something that reminds her of you, her wings flicker on and off to black."

Issei widened his eyes a little at Irina's information. According to what Ddraig had told him, when the wings of an Angel turned black, their thoughts bordered on impurity. Either way, Issei hoped that Gabriel wouldn't fall because of him.

Wait a minute. Perhaps he could use that as a reason for why he didn't want to go to the tournament.

"If I go to the tournament," Issei began, "it's gonna affect Gabriel-san. So there's no reason for me to g-."

"Then again," Irina interrupted Issei, "Gabriel-sama did say she wanted to see Issei."

"Goddamn it." Issei muttered.

Rias smiled as she got up and pointed to her brother.

"I understand, Onii-sama. If you are alright with having us, then we will happily accept and participate!"

"Tch," Issei clicked his tongue, "I'm not siding with any of the Three Factions."

"That's fine," Sirzechs smiled, "Gabriel will be pleased when she finds out you'll be coming. Serafall will be happy as well."

"Oh joy." Issei sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Took you long enough to visit me, Issei."

"Yeah, sorry. A lot of...stuff's been going on."

"Issei...never here."

"Sorry, Hex-chan."

Great Red rolled his eyes as he watched Issei pet the Trihexa on the head. Lilith had already retreated into Ophis' subconscious, so the Apocalypse Dragon was pretty much stuck with 666. Not that he had any complaints. At least the Trihexa didn't poke his horn like Lilith constantly did.

"Hey, do you know where Ophis is?"

"I don't keep track of where my sister is, Issei. She's not at that penthouse apartment of yours yet?"

"No, she's not there either. I tried to sense her energy, but that didn't work. I even tried to sense the Omniversal entity's power as well, but I can't even feel a glimmer of it.

"They're probably in the Omniverse."

"Oh yeah! That makes sense. Can you teleport me there?"

"No can do, kid."

"Huh?" Issei questioned as he widened his eyes, "Why not?"

"I don't know where the hell the Omniverse is."

"So you don't know what it looks like?"

"Nope. And even if I knew, I couldn't teleport you there. Only the Omniversal entity can pretty much control the area of its home."

"So the entity only allows anyone it chooses to inhabit the Omniverse. That explains why she was able to send me back, and bring me into her world."

"That's right. So if she allowed only Ophis to come with her, you're probably not supposed to be involved in whatever the hell they're doing."

Issei sighed and shook his head. What on Earth would they be talking about? Were they talking about him? Did he do something so wrong that they wouldn't let him come along to the Omniverse.

"...Hey. Wanna ride some motorcycles?"

Issei looked up at the Apocalypse Dragon, who rose his head up.

"Look, relax. I'm sure Ouroboros and the Omniversal entity are fine. Quit worrying and ride some motorcycles with me."

"...All right."

* * *

><p><strong>Near Issei's Apartment<strong>

"Hold it!"

While riding the motorcycle Great Red had created for him, Issei looked to the back to see a police car trailing not too far away from. Widening his eyes, the young man looked over to see a relatively calm Great Red, who stopped his motorcycle.

Getting out of his car, the police officer approached Great Red and Issei with a scowl on his face.

"Sir," The officer began, "Do you know how fast you were going?"

Issei held in his breath as he waited for Great Red to respond. The officer was staring into the golden eyes of the Apocalypse Dragon. The young man shut his eyes hoping that Great Red wouldn't overreact.

"Sorry officer," Great Red said calmly, "I...didn't know I couldn't do that."

Issei did a double take, looking around to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

'What did he just say?!'

"Well now you know!" The police officer said, "Now get the hell out of here!"

Watching the officer go back to his car, Great Red smirked and revved up his motorcycle. Before he could move, however, he spotted Issei giving him a look of shock.

"What? What's wrong with you, kid?"

"I didn't know I couldn't do that?" Issei repeated incredulously.

The Apocalypse Dragon's smirk widened.

"That was good, wasn't it?"

"..."

"Because I _did _know I couldn't do that! Hahahahahahahaha!" Great Red cackled as he drove away from the surprised Issei.

**{...PARTNER! Partner, can you hear me?}**

Issei jumped at the familiar voice.

'Ddraig?'

**[Issssssei.]**

'Orochi-chan! It's good to hear from you guys! What on Earth happened?!'

**((Man, do you have to be so loud?))**

'...Ddraig? Who was that?'

**{Another roommate, partner.}**

**[More voicesssss in Isssssei's head.]**

'Why does it sound like Albion?'

**{You remember the jewel of the Vanishing Dragon?}**

'Yeah.'

**{Well, unbeknownst to us, there was actually of shard of Albion's soul sealed within the jewel. And since you absorbed it when you were in the alternate armor of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi...}**

**((I moved into your head. Gotta say, there's a whole lot of space in here.))**

**{Don't interrupt me, Al!}**

**((Why don't you calm down, Ddraig!))**

**[Both you Dragons sssssshut up.]**

Issei clutched his head as he tried to ignore the voices. He had already grown accustomed to the voices of Ddraig and the Yamata-no-Orochi in his head. But now he had the soul of Albion in his subconscious.

That wasn't a good thing. Not to mention the fact that Ddraig and Albion weren't exactly friends.

"...This is really not my day."

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Apartment: Bedroom<strong>

Due to Ddraig and the clone of Albion's constant arguments, Issei didn't feel like retreating into his subconscious. It wasn't worth it if he was going to listen to Ddraig and Albion's clone argue about something stupid. As he laid down on his bed, he stared up at the ceiling. The area around him began to dissolve. His walls melted into complete blackness, the shapes of galaxies and Milky Ways forming.

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

Issei widened his eyes as he found himself laying upon a cold hand. Blinking several times, Issei looked up to see a giant Ophis.

Wait. A giant Ophis?!

The young man looked around to see the 'Above' entity staring down at him with her stoic and emotionless green eyes. Issei then realized something strange.

Ophis and the 'Above' entity were both seventeen meters tall within the Omniverse. So in reality, Issei was a fly compared to them.

Smiling, Ophis held Issei with both hands and hugged him against her chest.

"I, like holding my Issei like this."

Issei begged to differ. Ophis was already taller than him to begin with, but at seventeen meters, this was too much for him to handle.

Holding Issei away from her, Ophis tilted her head and smiled slyly. Issei didn't even know what to say in his situation.

"_How interesting. At this particular moment, you are my **little** darling._" The 'Above' stated.

"And you are also my _little_ mate."

'I don't like this.' Issei thought miserably.

**((Well look at this Casanova.))**

**{Hey! Only I can make fun of my host!}**

Issei just palmed his face, wondering why he was subject to these horrible situations.

"_As Ouroboros has told you,_" The 'Above' began, "_I was aware of your battle with the wielder of the True Longinus. I am also aware of your encounter with the Human known as Heracles_."

Issei immediately grew serious at the mention of Heracles. He still thought about that damn letter. Before his thoughts could get any darker, he suddenly felt a pair of cold yet soft lips on his cheek.

Shivering at the frosty kiss, Issei looked up at the 'Above' entity.

"_Don't ever do something that foolish again, Issei. You need to be more careful_. _You are aware that I will not help in whatever conflict you are involved in_."

"...I know." Issei said as he gave the entity a sad smile.

The 'Above' entity tilted her head at Issei's response. She was expecting Issei to try to persuade her into reconsidering her words, and beg her to help him. And yet, he was smiling at her, unconcerned.

"_You do not seem surprised._"

"Well I mean," Issei said, "My conflicts aren't _your _conflicts. You having a conflict would be impossible because you could just solve the conflict effortlessly. Plus, it wouldn't be fair to you if I asked you to help me solve my problems. That'd be completely selfish of me."

"You are a unique God, my Issei." Ophis stated, "You are different from them."

"To be honest I really don't like to think of myself like one."

"_Then perhaps you should change that mindset about yourself, my little darling_." The 'Above' commented as she held her hand out.

Ophis tilted her head at the entity's gesture. The 'Above' entity didn't show any change in facial expression at all.

"_It is my turn to hold him, Ouroboros._"

"My Issei is my mate. I, shall decide the duration in which I hold him."

"_Why_?"

"Are you questioning a God?"

"_Are you_?" The 'Above' entity's eyes noticeably narrowed.

Issei shook his head as he tried to endure the verbal argument between Ophis and the 'Above' entity.

**{Ah, nostalgia. It's so good to laugh at your pain, my host.}**


	24. Azazel, You Done Goofed

"Uh. I hate Mondays."

This was not Issei Hyoudou's day. Earlier, the young man assumed it was going to be a normal day.

Until Azazel, who Issei had just realized worked at Kuoh Academy, ended up snatching him and made him enter into an unknown room.

"Azazel, this isn't right!"

"Oh relax, Issei Hyoudou. You weren't planning to do anything else after school anyway!"

Yep. Issei really hated Mondays.

"...This is not what I had in mind!"

And here he was, trapped within a mysterious capsule. God, he really hated Azazel now.

"Let me out already!"

"No can do. Hahahaha, seriously, you came in at a good time, Issei Hyoudou."

Azazel chuckled and activated a device, prompting Issei to emit a pool of his Solar Energy. He was going to give the Fallen Angel the beating of a lifetime once he got out of here.

_If_ he got out of here.

"What are you trying to do?!"

"Well, there was something I wanted to try for a bit, and I was troubled because I didn't have a test subject. And you happened to come by walking through the hallways. So I just felt like it."

"You 'felt like it'?! You son of a-"

"Everything comes with a sacrifice."

Gritting his teeth, Issei looked all around himself, and spotted a capsule next to the one he was trapped in.

'What kind of experiment is this?!'

_FLASH! DOOOOOOOOON!_

A flash of light suddenly illuminated, causing a large explosion to erupt. Smoke emitted around the area.

_Cough! Cough!_

Issei held in his breath as he shot an energy blast through the capsule. Before he climbed out, he stopped.

'Why didn't I do that from the beginning?'

"Goddamn it!"

Calming himself for the moment, Issei climbed out of the capsule and looked around his surroundings. He looked behind himself and saw that the capsule he was originally in was broken.

"What in the world happened?"

The room was in ruins due to the explosion, leaving shattered glass and objects. Clicking his tongue, Issei looked all over him.

"Goddamn that Azazel."

A drip of water dropped down from the ceiling.

"Well...I know someone's going to have to clean this up. And it's not gonna be me."

Crossing his arms, Issei walked out of the room, and went outside. Before he could walk onto the bridge, he heard something strange.

"Kyaa!"

Issei turned around to see a well-endowed girl with brown hair tied with a red ribbon. The young man remembered that the girl's name was Murayama.

Murayama ran quickly and stopped just in time to avoid crashing into Issei. The girl stammered and tried to calm herself down.

"What's wrong?" Issei asked.

"I-I-I-I" Murayama stuttered, "There was a monster! And he attacked the girls and I in the Kendo Club!"

Issei widened his eyes a little.

"Where are the rest of the girls?"

"They all went home! But I think that monster's still there."

"Hnn." Issei grunted as he ran towards the Kendo Club location.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Murayama shouted out to him.

But Issei was already far away to hear to the girl's words. A monster? He hadn't heard that before, especially at his own school.

As he neared towards the location, Issei placed his hand on the door. Very gently, he opened it, poking his head through. When he walked in, his eyes widened at the sight in front of him.

"No way..."

He recognized the entity in front of him. It was one of his transformations; the one he obtained in Death's Domain.

The entity had long brown hair, and a hole in his chest that was decorated with black makings across his chest to his shoulders. The pale-white skinned figure also had a mask with two long horns that pointed upwardly, and had black outlines extending from the center towards the tips. Jutting out from the sides of the horns were phoenix wing-like fringes.

"A berserker phoenix..."

"_Ahhhhhh..._"

Issei looked at his death incarnation and widened his eyes when he noticed something odd.

"The scythe!"

Clasped within the hands of Issei's death incarnation, was the scythe he had obtained in the realm of Hades. The scythe was kept hidden within a thick layer of cloth. Issei half expected the incarnation to wield the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, not the scythe.

"What's he doing with the scythe?"

The death transformation of Issei narrowed his golden eyes and gripped the cloth on the hilt of the scythe. Letting out a echoed growl, the incarnation swung the scythe around, spinning in a rapid motion.

Issei tensed as he got into a defensive position. Growling fiercely, the death incarnation tossed the scythe towards Issei, who dodged it almost narrowly.

'Such speed!'

_GR__AHHHHHHHHH!_

The incarnation withdrew the scythe, and spun it around at a fast pace. He then released the weapon and tossed it towards Issei again. He then vanished away, prompting Issei to keep himself guarded.

Suddenly, Issei cried out in pain when he felt something sharp pierce him in the back.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Soul Room<strong>

In the soul room of Issei Hyoudou, there was only a flicker of light. Surrounding the small amount of light was an area of complete blackness.

An unconscious Issei laid upon the light, blood pouring out from his back. The crimson liquid spread outwardly, overlapping the black space. Ruby blood replaced the spaceless darkness, trapping Issei within an entire pool of his own blood.

The liquid started to flow and cover Issei entirely. Seconds later, brown eyes shot open, and Issei suddenly found himself choking over his own blood. The young man struggled to escape the crimson pool, and he attempted to flare out his aura. The smell and taste of copper overwhelmed Issei's senses, and the Solar God almost drowned in the giant puddle.

Suddenly, the pool began to dissolve away, descending into complete darkness. Issei collapsed onto the spaceless ground, and struggled to breathe. Droplets of blood dripped from his mouth. Breathing heavily, Issei slowly moved, wincing ever so often. Moving his hand, Issei went to support himself by holding his back, and stopped when he felt something flowing.

Issei's eyes widened and he took a deep breath, moving his hand in front of him. He gasped when his hand was drenched in blood.

_**So pathetic...**_

The young man looked up in surprise. Where did that voice come from?

_**Come on! Quit being so pathetic!**_

"?!"

_**Hate you...they all hate you.**_

"..."

_**You're a burden! Do you really believe that anyone actually cares about you? Well, you're sadly mistaken!**_

Issei grunted as he tried to suppress the voice.

_**Ophis doesn't care about you! How can Nothingness love anything?! After all, it only loves silence. It's kisses and affection it gives to you...they're nothing! There's no 'love' or meaning behind it!**_

"Guh!" Issei groaned in pain.

The voice was causing so much pain. Issei didn't understand what the voice was talking about. The words were laced with malice and poison, breaking Issei's attempts to suppress the cold voice.

_**And Leiko? Humph. She doesn't care about you at all! She doesn't even love you! She just pities you because you're her adoptive cousin! Face it! If you didn't exist, then her life would be better! She wouldn't have to suffer by living in fear if you didn't exist at all!**_

"S-stop it!"

_**You're just a puppet for the supernatural! Its precious plaything! Just come to grip with your reality! The supernatural will always play the puppeteer, while you are its weak and pathetic puppet! **_

"I...I-"

_**You will never escape. Just accept it!**_

Issei clutched his head, the pain through his skull reverberating intensely.

"Just stop! Get out!"

_**Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!**_

**{Partner! Can you hear me?! Partner!}**

**[Issssssei!]**

Issei's eyes widened at the voices of Ddraig and the Yamata-no-Orochi. The young man gritted his teeth as the pain in his head increased

"Guh...!"

_Wake up, Issei Hyoudou!_

The blood on Issei's back began to spiral around his body. Very slowly, the crimson liquid began to form into a dual pair of scythes. The scythes suddenly formed into a dark crimson omega symbol.

Issei coughed out blood as he clutched his chest. The overflow of blood began to rise up in Issei's throat, and he slammed down onto the spaceless ground.

_**You will always be trapped. Just accept it.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Lab (At Kuoh Academy)<strong>

Azazel looked at the unconscious young man laying quietly on one of the resting mattresses. A look of regret etched over the Fallen Angel's face. He had found Issei laying in a pool of blood in the Kendo Club. The blood seemed to be flowing out from his back, painting the Kendo Club rooms with red.

Azazel remembered that standing above Issei, was a creature wearing a horned mask. The Fallen Angel noticed that the creature was carrying the scythe Issei had obtained during his battle with Cao Cao.

Before Azazel could even do anything, the berserker-like entity had chosen that moment to completely fuse itself with Issei.

The Fallen Angel deduced that the creature who stabbed Issei was actually one of the young man's transformations dissociated. It was able to manifest after Azazel activated the machine he was using the experiment for. The effects separated Issei's berserker transformation from himself.

But now the death incarnation of Issei had merged with the young man once again. And yet, Issei appeared to even worse from before. His skin was extremely pale, and his back occasionally dripped out blood, staining the bed he was on.

"What have I done?" Azazel muttered to himself, "I didn't know it was going to turn out like this."

_SLAM_

At the sound of the door slamming open, the Fallen Angel turned to see two familiar and extremely enraged Dragons.

Glaring at Azazel with his golden eyes, Great Red stomped over to him, and picked him up by his collar.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do, you damn bastard!"

"My Issei..."

Great Red and Azazel looked over to see Ophis cradling Issei's head. She rubbed her mate's hair softly, her face beginning to twitch at the amount of blood pouring out of Issei's back. Narrowing her dark-gray eyes, Ophis sent a fierce scowl over to Azazel.

"What. Did you do. To **my** **mate**?" Ophis said in a darker tone.

"I didn't intend for it to be this way." Azazel tried to explain.

"Wrong answer, you son of a bitch!" Great Red slammed Azazel against the wall.

The Fallen Angel grunted in pain. In spite of that, a question popped into his head. How on Earth did Ophis and Great Red know Issei was in danger? They didn't go to Kuoh Academy.

A manifestation of bright energy suddenly appeared next to Ophis, revealing the 'Above' entity. Unlike her usual emotionless expression, the Omniversal entity appeared to be...worried. Almost...angered.

She set her green eyes over to the scythe laid next to Issei. The entity narrowed her eyes as she remembered where Issei had gotten that scythe from.

The Realm of the Dead.

'_...That scythe wields powerful properties. Enough capabilities to harm my little darling_.'

The entity looked back at Azazel, her piercing green eyes becoming sharper. Ophis' eyes narrowed darkly at the Fallen Angel.

"Explain." Ophis demanded.

"_Right. Now_." The 'Above' ordered, her voice taking on a darker edge for the first time.


	25. The Battle Within

**Issei's Soul Room**

The overwhelming scent of blood made Issei sick to his stomach. It made his stomach twist and churn, unable to settle itself. The smell wasn't the only thing that bothered him. Every so often, blood would rise up in his throat, forcing him to either swallow or spit it out.

The young man didn't even have the energy to scream out in pain. He was breathing heavily, as though his air was being taken away. His only consolation was that the poisonous voice was gone. However, Issei was once again unsettled by the fact that he couldn't contact Ddraig, the Yamata-no-Orochi, or even Albion's clone. He couldn't hear their replies. If they had even replied back in the first place.

Taking another deep breath, Issei struggled to get up, lifting himself up with his hands. As soon as he got up however, his eyes constricted, and he fell with a thud.

"?!"

He grunted as he slammed onto the ground, and he covered his mouth, feeling the copper taste rising up in his throat. The young man looked down, and he instantly regretted it, spotting the pool of blood he was almost submerged in. The puddles came from the blood flowing from his back, and the blood from his own mouth.

Eyes twitching in pain, Issei closed his eyes and swallowed the blood back into his throat, almost growing sick from the amount of the crimson liquid. He felt constant pain, the agony becoming more pronounced the longer blood spewed out. From getting stabbed by Ddraig, to battling with Susanoo, and his final battle with Yoru, those were nothing compared to how he was feeling now.

Aside from the pain and overflowing blood, there were times when Issei thought he could hear the voice whispering out to him, sending him mental images. Some depictions involved mostly of Leiko. There were instances where Leiko shouted at him, proclaiming her hatred for him. After those, there were several scenes of Leiko's death, ranging from minor to true gore.

But the voice didn't stop there. Not only did it constantly show depictions of Leiko, but it also sent mental images involving Ophis, Great Red. There were scenes in which the Apocalypse Dragon and the Ouroboros Dragon were being harmed by Samael's needle.

Taking another deep breath, Issei sat still, fearing the slightest movement would cause him to throw the blood up again. He felt pain. Constant pain.

He felt so…

Broken.

"…No."

The young man gulped down another mouthful of blood, and began to stand up, his knees wobbling from the strain.

**What the hell do you think you're doing?**

Damn. It was that voice again.

"…Be quiet." Issei muttered out before gaining his balance.

**Oh, you're standing up are you? Well, don't bother. Your 'family' doesn't care about you. Leiko, Ophis, Great Red, the Trihexa, and Amaterasu couldn't care less. And your supposed best friend, Saji? He's part of the Devils, the very species who wronged you since your first encounter with the supernatural.**

"…" Issei stood up straight, keeping his mouth shut.

**What's the matter? Run out of words already? No more words to say?**

Issei took another breath, trying to block out the smell of blood.

**You really think you can escape from here, can you? You're wasting your time!**

The young man clenched his fists, more blood seeping out from his hands. Gritting his teeth from the pain, Issei looked through the crimson pool of darkness, and narrowed his eyes.

"We'll just have to see about that."

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Lab (Kuoh Academy)<strong>

"Did you not hear us, Fallen Angel Azazel? Explain what you did to my Issei." Ophis demanded coldly.

"...I didn't mean for it to go like this."

"Well, it's already done," Great Red snarled, "Now hurry up and spill the beans!"

Azazel gulped down a nervous lump in his throat. The Fallen Angel was normally a pacifist type of guy, choosing to talk his way out of unfortunate situations. Except this time, he wouldn't be able to save himself if he wasn't careful.

Sighing, Azazel took a deep breath.

"...There's an upcoming tournament for the Three Powers, and yesterday, I tried to enroll Issei Hyoudou into joining the side of the Fallen Angels. I probably would have succeeded, if Sirzechs hadn't shown up. He said that Issei was on his side."

"Well, we all know that's a damn lie," Great Red said, "The kid wants nothing to do with the supernatural, you crows, or those Devils at all. Why do you think he's been lying dormant for the past six months?"

"...Anyway," Azazel began, "So when that failed I built a machine with the intention of cloning Issei Hyoudou. So if Sirzechs had Issei on his side, then I would also have Issei on my side as well."

"That is foolish," Ophis narrowed her eyes, "You tried to clone my mate just to win a tournament."

"I just don't understand why it didn't work." Azazel muttered to himself.

"_Your machine is flawed_," The 'Above' stated, "_It did not clone Issei. It dissociated one of his transformations from himself. The very transformation he acquired in the Realm of the Shinigami_."

"But I saw that creature meld itself back into Issei Hyoudou."

The 'Above' looked back at Issei, and then to the scythe. The scythe was acquired from the Realm of Hades, so Issei was right not to use it in his fight with Cao Cao. The entity narrowed her eyes as a thought came to her.

'The realm of the Shinigami.'

There was one other being that had an expertise about the subject of scythes. A powerful being that imbued the fears of any mortal.

As if on cue, a manifestation of black energy formed within Azazel's laboratory. The massive energy formed into a curvaceous woman with night-black hair and was dressed in a black robe. Ophis' expression lifted just slightly at the familiar entity.

"Shinigami."

The entity known as Death smiled and tilted her head. Her smile widened as she spotted Ophis, the Great Red pinning down a poor Fallen Angel, and her Creator.

"Fufu. It's been a long time, everyone."

"_Death_." The 'Above' greeted one of her creations.

"Creator, it's good to see you. It seems Eternity was right. You _were_ contemplating on taking a female form. Are you living with Darling now?"

"_Now is not the time to talk about that._" The Omniversal Entity cut Death off.

"Hmm," Death tilted her head as her smile faltered, "Yes I am aware. Issei doesn't look too good over there."

The Shinigami looked over at the unconscious Issei, and she tapped her scythe on the ground. Next to Issei, was a double-edged scythe that seemed to glisten. The personification of decay hummed in interest.

"What an interesting scythe. Might I ask where Darling got that?"

"_Do not be coy with me, Shinigami_," The 'Above' demanded, "_You know the origin of the scythe. This is not the time to act like this_."

The embodiment of despair formed a small pout with her lips, until she assented and sighed. It was natural for the personification to be indifferent or otherwise downright gleeful when death itself was near. It made her all the more excited when she sensed that it was Issei who was bleeding out from his back.

"You're no fun." She pouted again.

"Hold on a minute, who are you?" Azazel asked in disbelief.

"Is it not obvious? Both Ouroboros and my Creator stated my name. Or were you not paying attention, Fallen Angel Azazel?"

"I-"

"Oh, shut up!" Great Red barked as he knocked Azazel out, "I'll be back for you later, bastard."

The Fallen Angel slumped to the floor, unconscious just like Issei.

"_Now Shinigami_," The 'Above' began, "_What is that power emitting from the scythe_?"

"Hmm," Death hummed as she looked at the scythe, "Even though the power is nowhere near my own, it's not exactly weak, especially if the scythe came from Hades' Realm."

"Hades has a vendetta against you, Shinigami." Ophis pointed out.

"I know," Death smirked before continuing, "But back to the matter at hand. Scythes are very powerful objects. They can kill Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils and even Grim Reapers. But, something that powerful is not without its drawbacks."

"What kind of drawbacks?" Great Red asked.

"Well, the scythe that Issei acquired in the realm of Hades has a rather…serious setback. Even though Issei hasn't used the scythe once, it was still absorbed into his body."

"The scythe affected my mate's body chemistry?" Ophis tilted her head, "But he appeared to be well."

"Appeared is the key word, Ouroboros. Even though Issei looked fine as day, the inside of his body wasn't. The scythe was transforming him."

"Transforming into what?" The Apocalypse Dragon demanded.

Death's serious expression dissolved into an amused expression. She placed her hands over her mouth as she giggled.

"Fufu. Isn't it obvious, Apocalypse? It was turning him into a Grim Reaper from the inside."

Ophis and Great Red widened their eyes a little, while the 'Above' entity's green eyes darkened.

"_A Grim Reaper_."

"That's right, Creator." Death's smile widened, "Didn't you find it interesting why Hades let Issei and the owner of the True Longinus go? Hades isn't that benevolent of a Olympian God, you know. He let them go for a reason."

"Because of the scythe." Ophis answered.

"Exactly, Ouroboros. Remember, Grim Reapers are sub-species of Gods that serve Hades in the Realm of the Dead. As soon as Issei obtained that scythe, Hades allowed him to go, because he knew sooner or later, that Issei would convert into a Grim Reaper."

"So that bastard wants Issei to work for him. Well, isn't that just peachy?" Great Red snarled.

"There is also the matter of my Issei's dissociation," Ophis began, "What is wrong with his transformation? I thought the Biblical God fused with my mate's powers in order to balance his rage out."

"That may be," Death began, "However, when the God from the Bible fused a portion of his soul within Issei, it was supposed to be temporary. He only did that in order to help Issei deal with the Trihexa."

"So when 666 turned to our side…" Great Red answered.

"The soul of the Biblical God faded away into non-existence, because his task was finished. So since that soul is gone, Issei has to combat his dissociation, along with the scythe by himself. Although…he doesn't look like he has any time left."

The Dragons, the 'Above', and Death looked over at Issei, who was looking paler by the second. His peach skin was whitening to a chalk-like color. Ophis' eyes softened as she rubbed her mate's hair, noting how cold he was.

"My Issei…."

Watching the scene, Great Red growled.

"A Grim Reaper. That means his body is going to alter and decay soon."

Normally turning into a Grim Reaper wouldn't be fatal, but seeing as Issei's death manifestation slashed him with the scythe, his life was shortened.

Ophis clenched her fists in anger at the Olympian God of the Dead. Hades had planned on Issei becoming a Grim Reaper because of that scythe. And because of him, Issei's body was going to deteriorate.

"_Without the soul of the Biblical God to tame his anger, along with the influence of the scythe from Hades' Realm, Issei's powers are unstable. The transformation into a Grim Reaper is going to kill him from the inside_." The 'Above' deduced.

Ophis' eyes started to form into watery tears. The passing of her mate was something that she never wanted to happen. She swore that once this was all over; she was going to disintegrate Hades into oblivion. She was going to rip every bone off of him, and then crush his skull.

The supernatural had manipulated her mate too many times. So many times, her Issei had been involved in situations that he was always uncomfortable with. Circumstances in which he had never even caused to begin with. And now his body was growing weak.

Narrowing her eyes, Ophis pet Issei on his head.

"Then Great Red and I, shall make a new body for my darling mate. His body is too unstable now."

The 'Above' turned around to face the Ouroboros Dragon, and her dark-green eyes sharpened.

"_His body has always been unstable, Ouroboros. It has always since the day he was sent to Earth. It is intriguing on how he was able to survive for this long._"

"Humph, then let's not waste any time," Great Red growled, "As soon as we're done, I'm going to that bastard Hades. I have a bone to pick with him."

"Fufu."

"No pun intended, Shinigami." The True Dragon snarled towards Death.

"Then we shall begin." Ophis declared as her body began to glow.

However, before the Ouroboros Dragon could even touch her mate, Issei's body started to glow with a white light. Suddenly, the scythe began to shake, releasing a bright light that blinded the beings within Azazel's laboratory.

The light slowly faded, allowing the sight of the beings to return. Rubbing her eyes, Ophis blinked several times as her sight cleared, and her dark-gray eyes widened.

"Issei…"

The Ouroboros Dragon then grit her teeth. Issei was gone, along with the scythe. The only sign that he was there, was the dried blood that flowed from his back.

Her body trembling with overwhelming emotion, Ophis clenched her fists tightly.

"Where is my Issei?!" She shouted out.

* * *

><p><strong>Tokyo<strong>

"AHHHHHH!"

"What the hell is that thing?!"

"Everyone run for your lives!"

The city of Tokyo was in absolute ruins, with the buildings and skyscrapers destroyed completely. Vehicles and shattered glass were spread all over the area.

_RAHHHHHHHH!_

A massive figure in a dark hood stomped on the ground, causing it to shake in tremors. Wielding a scythe, the creature roared and charged a colossal sphere of energy. Increasing the power of the blast, the hooded figure delivered the energy to a nearby building, completely disintegrating it.

Leaning on a fallen building, was a weary looking Issei Hyoudou. His Kuoh Academy shirt was shredded, stained with crimson-blood. His skin was pale as the brightest light, with the cuts on his face noticeable. He breathed heavily, feeling a little relieved he was finally separated from his death incarnation.

"That scythe…it altered me somehow. And from the looks on that giant, the scythe turned him into a Grim Reaper."

The young man winced in pain as he saw his skin becoming paler. Gulping down some blood in his throat, Issei looked up at his Grim Reaper incarnation. He had a feeling that if this chaos went on, he would turn into a Grim Reaper as well.

He couldn't let that happen.

Issei closed his eyes as he tried to contact Ddraig. While in his soul room, he had been unable to hear the cries of Ddraig, the Orochi, and even Albion's clone. Since he was now in the real world, Issei assumed that he would be able to converse with them.

'D-Ddraig? Orochi-chan? Al?'

…

No reply.

The young man sighed and took another step forward. So not even the Welsh Dragon, the Eight-Forked Serpent, or the clone of the Vanishing Dragon could help him. But he couldn't lose hope on that. This being was a part of him that had to be destroyed. It was source of his instability and everything that Issei hated about himself.

It represented how broken he really was. In spite of that, he couldn't let anyone else get hurt by his Grim Reaper incarnation.

The death incarnation of Issei growled again, swinging his scythe towards the crowd of frantic citizens. It summoned and shot another energy blast. The ground cracked below him, the force so powerful it felt as though an earthquake was occurring. The incarnation gathered another sphere of energy within his mouth, and charged to a massive size.

"GYAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The death incarnation canceled its attack and looked behind him to see its host incarnation screaming to the heavens. The intensity of his scream's echo caused buildings and skyscrapers to collapse all around him. His eyes glowing with rage, the Grim Reaper incarnation of Issei roared at his original incarnation, who glared back.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to finish what you started with me?"

_RAHHHHHHHH!_

The incarnation roared again and charged towards Issei, lifting its scythe up. Issei lowered his head, and narrowly missed the attack. The young man yelled and flew back up to attack. The incarnation growled and slapped away Issei away from him.

"AHHHH!"

Issei grunted at the pain, and then suddenly, he smiled at his death incarnation.

"What's up? Are you not taking this seriously?"

The incarnation bellowed and went to punch Issei, who caught the giant fist.

"Ngh. Is this really all you can do? You'll have to do better than that." Issei said as he moved the fist back.

The Grim Reaper version of Issei shouted and pulled his fist back, sending it towards Issei. Issei gritted his teeth and shouted as he was hit by the impact. The incarnation's force blew away the buildings. Issei winced at the pain, but he successfully forced the fist back.

The young man flew away from his death incarnation, and landed on the ground. He looked up at the monster, and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm still standing!"

_GRAHHHHHHHHHH!_

The incarnation lifted his scythe up once again, this time charging a black-crimson energy around it. Issei looked at the scythe, and looked at himself. He was growing weaker. And he had a feeling if he used whatever energy he had left, he might not make it.

Shaking his head, Issei concentrated on the current situation. He cared about his family. Leiko, Ophis, Great Red, the 'Above' entity, Amaterasu, and the rest of the friends he had made. He couldn't let this creature ruin their lives.

He couldn't let _himself_ ruin their lives.

"Come on." Issei baited his Grim Reaper incarnation.

The incarnation swung his scythe down, with the energy forming around it increasing by the second. At the last second, Issei smiled and dodged the scythe, feeling satisfaction as it embedded itself into the ground.

As he neared the beast, Issei made a straight fist faced at his incarnation. His body started to glow with tremendous energy. Narrowing his eyes, Issei increased the energy within his body and gritted his teeth.

"_DRAGON SOLARRRRRRRRRRRR_!"

Issei's body exploded into the form of a colossal Dragon formed out of pure Solar Energy. An immense pillar-like solar aura surrounded the Dragon, its intensity burning and incinerating everything in its path.

The death incarnation howled in shock as the Solar Dragon collided into him, tearing right through his stomach. Immediately after, the intense pillars began to surround the incarnation, the heat growing intensely. The Grim Reaper incarnation of Issei roared louder as the Dragon coiled itself around him.

_GRAHHHHHHHHH!_

The Solar Dragon's body glowed with intense Solar Energy, while the death incarnation shouted out in pain. A bright light flashed from both of the entities, causing the city of Tokyo to become trapped within an aura of white light.

* * *

><p>As the light faded, the sky above Tokyo appeared to open up, the darkness fading away into the light. An aura of energy particles floated upwards into the sky. As the clouds cleared up, a lone figure stood with his fist set up towards the sky.<p>

"…Heh. Heh heh heh." Issei chuckled softly with a warm smile on his face.

Moments later, the scythe from the Realm of the Hades dropped down on the ground next to him. Issei continued to stand still, looking up at the sky. The scythe suddenly burned with leftover solar energy, completely destroyed from the power.

With his eyes growing heavy, Issei sighed and began to lean back. Before he could drop onto the ground, a large crimson scaly body caught him.

"…You really are something, little bro." Great Red muttered.

"My darling Issei."

Sitting on top of Great Red, was none other than the Infinite Dragon God herself. Her eyes showing worry, Ophis rested her mate's head on her lap, stroking his head gently.

"My Issei…did wonderful. You are safe now, my adorable Issei." The Ouroboros Dragon whispered.

"_…Little Darling never ceases to intrigue me._"

The 'Above' entity, who was sitting on Ophis' opposite side, caressed Issei's cheek. Looking around the decimated city of Tokyo, the entity closed her eyes and lifted up her fingers. She then snapped them, and the effects of Tokyo began to reanimate.

"…Great Red," Ophis began quietly, "Our next destination…is our original home."

"Don't have to tell me twice, Ouroboros. After we're done this, that son of a Fallen bitch Azazel and that bony bastard Hades are going to get what's coming to them."

"_The Olympian God of the Dead and Fallen Angel Azazel are beings you should not concern yourself with_," The 'Above' pointed out, "_All that matters…is generating an efficient body for our little darling_."

"Then, let us go." Ophis ordered.

"All right then," Great Red began as he looked towards the young Solar God, "Stay with us, Issei."


	26. Solar Reborn

**Dimensional Gap**

The Ouroboros Dragon and the 'Above' entity watched Issei silently. Although there were no words, the expression on her faces said it all. The son of Amaterasu had finally defeated the transformation that personified his anger instability.

Unfortunately, Issei had used all of the power he had left to destroy his Death/Grim Reaper incarnation. It didn't help that the fact that it was the winter season, meant that Issei couldn't absorb any of the Sun's ray at this time.

The last of his power had manifested into a colossal powerful Dragon composed of pure Solar Energy, completely destroying his death incarnation into oblivion.

The Infinite Dragon God gently rubbed her mate's head, her body trembling ever so slightly. Her emotions were beginning to overwhelm her. The worry and sadness were directed towards the pale Issei. The heated anger was predominately directed towards Hades, the Olympian God of the Dead.

The 'Above' entity mechanically brushed a stand of black hair behind her ear. As she pulled a part of hair in front of her, the entity spotted the scrunchie Issei had given to her. Maintaining her stone-faced expression, the 'Above' looked back at the unconscious Issei, and her eyes seemed to slant downwards just slightly.

The Ouroboros Dragon and the Omniversal Entity looked to the left to see a cultivation capsule glowing on top of the Apocalypse Dragon's scales. Surrounding the cocoon was an aura of black energy derived from Ophis' power.

"Is the cocoon finished?" Ophis asked.

"Almost." Great Red answered, "Don't worry."

Ophis looked over at the 'Above' entity, who tilted her head.

"Once this body transfer occurs, I wonder what will be my Issei's classification this time?"

The 'Above' entity closed her eyes and placed the scrunchie back into her hair.

"_From the day of his birth, Issei has always possessed the attributes of a God. Due to being a spawn of the Sun Goddess, he is essentially a pure-blooded God. During his battle against Riser Phenex, he absorbed his flames. This led to him becoming part Phoenix. Then, he acquired his death transformation in the Realm of the Shinigami, labeling him as a Death-Phoenix. After that, the influence of Hades' scythe slowly converted his death transformation into a Grim Reaper_."

"Humph," Great Red huffed, "the kid's a multitude of races. At least he destroyed his Grim Reaper incarnation. And the way he did it. Converting his energy into the form of a Dragon made out of the energies of the Sun. He's never done that before."

"So what will my Issei be now?" Ophis asked.

"_With the Apocalypse Dragon's flesh and your own power,_" the 'Above' began, "_Perhaps he will be a small True Dragon. With his original powers remaining._"

The Ouroboros Dragon tilted her head at the 'Above' entity revelation.

"So my Issei...will be a True Solar Dragon."

"Hmm. Has a nice ring to it." Great Red admitted.

"_To be revived by the Dragon God and the True Dragon. Issei Hyoudou is a very unique being._" The 'Above' commented.

"That is why I love my Issei." Ophis declared.

"All right, it's ready," The Apocalypse Dragon said, "Let him go."

Ophis hesitantly let go of her mate's body, which absorbed itself into the cocoon made of Great Red's flesh. The cocoon trapped Issei's soul within, with the capsule glowing brightly.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

When the Red Dragon Emperor met Issei Hyoudou for the first time, he knew his host was...special. He wasn't special in a powerful way. Nor was he special in a negative standpoint. Due to being sealed within the confines of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, Ddraig proclaimed Issei as his first true host.

He knew from the start that Issei's power, as well as his personality, was unstable to say the least. He wasn't insane, but he wasn't well either. There were points in Issei's life that Ddraig often questioned the mindset of his host. In spite of Issei's power deriving from the Sun, Ddraig deduced that Issei's overall power came from his emotions. However, Issei was not stable, which affected his power to a great degree.

With the exception of the Super Solar God transformation, which was achieved by Issei absorbing the full power of the Sun, all of Issei's transformations were achieved through Issei's instability, most prominently, his anger. His Super Solar form, his Hell-Fire form, and his Death-Phoenix (later turned Grim Reaper) transformations were all achieved by Issei's bouts of anger. The young man was never calm when he was in his transformations, because he acquired them through fury.

Ddraig looked up at the sky of Issei's Inner World, watching the light blue color fading into a pitch-black color. The Welsh Dragon had experienced this sight before, the moment after Issei's battle with Susanoo. Except this time, Issei had destroyed a literal part of himself. The transformation that embodied all of the insecurities, unstable aspect, and instability he had suppressed in his mind.

The Welsh Dragon was frantic when he couldn't help Issei while the young man was trapped in his soul room. He knew something was off about the scythe Issei got in Hades' Realm. It was affecting Issei's Inner World, and his body chemistry.

By turning him into a damn Grim Reaper.

The Red Dragon Emperor closed his eyes. He, the Yamata-no-Orochi, and Albion's clone could hear the screams of Issei within his soul room. Ddraig tried many times to contact his host, to no avail. He felt even more maddened when he couldn't help Issei when he faced his Death/Grim-Reaper transformation.

He could feel that Issei was tremendously weakened from the scythe's power, and from the separation of his Grim Reaper incarnation. When a being was slashed by a scythe from Hades' Realm, the lifespan of that being was shortened.

**((...Ddraig. Are you feeling all right?))**

At the call of his name, Ddraig turned to see Albion's clone, who was giving him a solemn but worried glance. Sitting across from Al, was the Yamata-no-Orochi herself. Her reptilian golden eyes were downcast in sadness. Ddraig knew the reason for the Orochi's melancholy, and he didn't blame her.

Remaining silent, Ddraig looked away from the Vanishing Dragon's clone.

**{...Partner finally conquered himself.}**

**((Himself? What are you talking about?))**

**{...Issei has always had problems with himself. From being born a God, to being sent to Earth, and forced to endure his first contact with the supernatural, he's always had trouble dealing with things.}**

**((Humph. You make it sound like he's had a traumatic life.))**

**{Oh, but he hasn't. And Issei doesn't act like it either. He's aware that his own childhood and life wasn't traumatic at all.}**

**((If that is so, then why did you say he's finally conquered himself?))**

**{...It's like I just told you. Partner has always had problems. He was a lonely shut-in, always wanting to be left alone. And even though he's become more 'sociable', that trait of my host still remains as an alternative part of his personality. He's become protective and more affectionate of Ouroboros, Apocalypse, Trihexa, Amaterasu, and his adoptive human cousin Leiko. He no longer wants to be left alone. He just...}**

**[Isssssssei.]**

Ddriag and Al looked over at the Yamata-no-Orochi, who stuck her tongue out. The clone of the Vanishing Dragon widened his eyes when he spotted a sharp fang rolled around in the Orochi's tongue. Through Albion's and Vali's memories, he remembered seeing that fang.

The fang of Fenrir.

**{...He just wants to have a normal life. To get away from the supernatural. He wants to live peacefully with the Dragon God, the True Dragon, and Leiko.}**

**((But that's impossible. With the exception of that human cousin of his, they are all part of the supernatural.))**

**{That's true. And even then, the supernatural seems to always follow Issei wherever he goes. It make sense. Amaterasu comes from the Shinto side of the supernatural. And because of that, the supernatural draws to Issei, whether he likes it or not.}**

**((And all this time, he keeps trying to escape from that world.))**

**{Well, I can't blame my host. It's not like he _wanted_ to be introduced to the supernatural. He was forced into an unfamiliar world that constantly involved him without any of his voluntary actions. But...even I can't deny, that if he hadn't been introduced to the supernatural at all, he would've never met Ophis or Great Red at all. And he knows this.}**

**((...Your host is confusing, Ddraig.))**

**{Humph. I know. That's why he's broken in a way.}**

Seconds later, the black sky began to brighten into a light blue color, drawing the attention of Ddraig, Al, and the Orochi. The Welsh Dragon widened his green eyes in surprise, unable to believe what he was sensing.

Could it be?

**{...Partner?!}**

**[Issssssei?!]**

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

The three beings within the Dimensional Gap watched on with tense patience. The cocoon continued to glow with immense power. Ophis' eyes trembled, a feeling of excitement beating within her heart. She desperately wanted to see the outcome of her and Great Red's actions.

Suddenly, the cocoon released a powerful and bright shock-wave that illuminated throughout the Dimensional Gap. The shelter then cracked open, revealing a familiar young man. Ophis' eyes widened as she looked at her precious mate, whose eyes started to open slowly.

"O-Ophis?" The reborn True Solar Dragon mumbled tiredly.

"My Issei!"

The Ouroboros Dragon floated quickly over to Issei and tackled him. The 'Above' remained where she was, looking directly at Issei. Her face didn't show it, but a burst of suppressed emotion echoed within her conscience. The entity deduced the emotion as...happiness.

"W-what happened?" Issei asked.

"I, shall tell you later, my precious mate." Ophis stated happily, "All that matters is that you are back with me."

"It's good to have you back, kid." Great Red greeted his 'brother-in-law', "And now that you're back, we both have some other business to attend to."

"What do you mean?"

"_The Apocalypse Dragon has 'a bone' to pick with the Olympian God of the Dead._" The 'Above' told him.

"What?"

"Humph. You heard her, Issei. Hades isn't going to get away with this." The True Red Dragon God Emperor declared.

"What about Azazel?" Ophis pointed out, "He is the one who caused trouble for my mate in the first place."

"_You do not have to worry about the Fallen Angel,_" The 'Above' entity began, "_He is getting what is coming to him in a few moments_."

"What makes you say that?" Great Red asked.

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Laboratory<strong>

"Uhhh..."

Azazel groaned as he rubbed his head. He looked around to see that he was the only one who was in his lab. Spotting the shattered glass and dried blood on one of his seats, Azazel deduced that Issei had been taken to be healed somewhere else.

Sighing, the Fallen Angel stood up from his spot and went to go clean up, until he felt a powerful presence nearby. The power was nowhere near Great Red or Ophis', but it was strong nonetheless.

Turning around, Azazel widened his eyes at the sight in front of him. The person in front of him fixed him with an enraged scowl, her usual warm eyes narrowed into slits. Her long curly blonde hair matched the color of the large and powerful spear composed of pure light clasped in her hand.

Blinking several times, Azazel paled at the threatening gaze the woman was sending towards him.

"Azazel," The woman began darkly, "You have a lot of explaining to do. What did you do to Issei?!"

"Gabriel?! Wait, I can explain about Issei!"


	27. Revenge against Hades

"Baka-Red. Are you sure it is safe for my mate to rest here?"

"Relax, Ouroboros. The kid will be fine. After all, the one who lives here _does_ have a cousin complex. You know how much she likes spending time with Issei."

"...It is a rather large house for a human."

"Exactly. So Issei will be fine. Quit your worrying, and let's go kick some bony ass!"

With that said, the Apocalypse Dragon and the Ouroboros Dragon transmitted away from the large house, leaving the reborn Issei to sleep on the couch. Before leaving the Dimensional Gap, Ophis refused to let Issei accompany her and Great Red to the Realm of the Dead, afraid that his new body might go out of control.

Convincing Great Red to the point of banter, Ophis had suggested taking Issei to his penthouse apartment. That didn't sit too well with the True Dragon, so he decided to take his 'brother-in-law' to another house.

* * *

><p><strong>Leiko's Room<strong>

Twisting and turning in her bed, Leiko placed the pillow over her head, trying to go to sleep. She wasn't even that uncomfortable. The air condition was on, so she wasn't feeling warm or hot. It was extremely quiet in the house, so no noises were keeping her up. She just couldn't sleep.

Sighing tiredly, Leiko got up from bed and yawned. Smacking her lips, the young woman walked out of her room and clumsily stumbled down the steps. Before she could walk further, something made her stop in her tracks.

"Ise-itoko?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Ku ku ku."

Ophis tilted her head at the Great Red's snickering.

"What is funny?"

"Cousin Leiko just found out the kid's in her house. Ku ku ku. Probably should have stayed a little longer just to see her reaction."

"...I, hope my mate is okay."

"He's fine, Ouroboros. Believe me. In fact, he should be better than ever, now that he's finally conquered himself."

"That is true."

"And hey, it looks like the kid was right."

"Right about what?"

"Do you remember what he said to you about us? And you repeated his words right back at me?"

Ophis adopted a look of confusion for a moment, before her dark-gray eyes widened.

"Trinity..."

"Humph. About time you remembered. Yeah, a Trinity. You, myself, and the kid. We're all a Trinity now."

The Ouroboros Dragon was rendered silent. Her mate was right. It took six months and a couple of weeks, but it was true! They had become a Trinity! It was as though Issei said those words to her in foresight.

"So are you ready, Ophis? We're almost there."

"Yes. I, am ready."

"Dra...gons?"

Great Red stopped in his soaring, and he and Ophis looked around to see a familiar being. Her dark red hair, along with her matching colored eyes seemed to be glowing with an ominous aura.

Ophis tilted her head at the other being who lived in the Dimensional Gap.

"666."

Great Red looked at the Trihexa momentarily, before a mischievous smirk began to split his face.

"Oh, this is going to be great."

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Laboratory<strong>

"Why on Earth would you do this to Issei?!"

Azazel had never once seen Gabriel so angry. The gentle and warm-hearted side of her personality had slowly changed into that of a vicious and fiery being. The light spear she was holding seemed to be _burning_ with intensity.

"It wasn't my intention to get him hurt, Gabriel. I swear it! It was just an experiment!"

Gabriel's hold on her light spear tightened, almost breaking it into shattered pieces. Azazel's horror seemed to heighten when he spotted the Seraph's silver-white wings darkening. As much as he desperately wanted Gabriel to _fall_, the Fallen Angel also didn't want to get his ass kicked in the process.

"What kind of experiment?" Her quiet voice betraying her rage.

"...You remember the Armageddon at the upcoming Tournament?"

"Keep going."

"...I was going to clone Issei Hyoudou, so he could be on my team, since Sirzechs said Issei was on his side."

"..."

"..."

_WHOOSH_

"GAHHH!"

Azazel almost squealed when the light spear thrown at him barely missed him.

"You were going to clone him?!"

"I thought it would work!"

"Why would you do that?! And what on Earth made you think that Issei would join Sirzechs on the Devil's side?"

"But Sirzechs said-"

"Issei has no relation at all to the Three Factions! He doesn't have to join you or the Devils!"

"Well, what about you Angels?!"

"I wasn't going to force him into joining my side! I just wanted him to visit the tournament so I could spend some time with him and the Dragons! And how dare you accuse me of doing that to Issei!"

"Yelling at me isn't going to make things any better!" Azazel countered.

Before Gabriel could say anything back, she widened her eyes when a pool of ice began to cover the laboratory grounds. Azazel gasped and ejected his crow wings and began to fly away, before he found himself trapped in a block of ice.

Gabriel turned around, and her eyes softened as she recognized the familiar Devil.

"Serafall!"

"...Gabriel."

"What?!" Azazel shouted in disbelief.

Gabriel was enough, but now Serafall?! Goddamn, he really had to think about his actions before he did anything else stupid.

"What are you doing here, Sera?" Gabriel asked.

"Same reason you're here, Gabriel," Serafall began as she set her violet eyes towards Azazel, "To find out why Azazel did what he did to Ise-chan."

"But how did you-" Gabriel tried to say.

"Do you really think..you can use Ise-chan as a guinea pig in your stupid experiments, and just leave it alone?!" The Leviathan Maou shouted.

"...Would you be surprised if I said yes?" Azazel replied weakly.

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of the Dead<strong>

Hades, the Olympian God of the Dead, tapped a bony finger on his throne impatiently. In front of him were a large crowd of Grim Reapers, waiting to obey his every demand. The God of the Dead was slowly losing his resolve.

"Where is that boy? By now, the scythe he acquired in this Realm should've converted him into a Grim Reaper!"

"Patience, Hades-dono," Pluto placated his lord, "It has only been a couple of days. Perhaps because he is a God, the transformation takes some time."

"It has taken too much time. I knew I should have just trapped him in here when I had the chance."

"Oh my, is the Olympian God having a temper tantrum?" A dark and seductive voice cooed.

Hades widened his eyeless sockets and sat up from his throne. His eyes glowed with rage, immediately recognizing the voice. He looked down at the crowd of Grim Reapers, and simmered when he saw a figure whose robes were far darker than any of his reapers.

The figure removed the hood away, allowing Hades to see an adult woman with moon-light skin, night-black hair, soulless black squinty eyes, and a sadistic and terrifying smile on her face. Although a bit put off from the woman's appearance, Hades maintained his resolve and snarled at her.

"Shinigami..."

Death's smile widened as she pulled out her scythe and tapped it on the ground. Seconds later, a vast portal emerged from the ground, causing several Grim Reapers to fall down into the portal. Hades quickly sat up again to the point of exploding at the personification of despair and decay.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"What am I doing, you ask? Why, it's simple. I'm feeding the lost souls that exist in my Domain. They have been rather hungry for some time."

"Curse you, Shinigami. What is your reason for being here? I didn't call for you."

Death hummed and looked at the remaining Grim Reapers, who took a couple of steps back. It was true that they respected Hades, but they also respected and _feared_ Death most of all. Satisfied from the frightened stares of Hades' minions, Death turned her attention to the God.

"I'm aware you didn't call me, Hades. As if I need your permission to gain access to this little 'apartment' of yours. And the Grim Reapers I just took from you can serve as your 'rent'."

"How dare you!"

"Fufufu." Death chuckled in amusement.

She absolutely loved riling up the Olympian God's nerves. As the two represented an aspect of the End, Death and Hades had a rivalry. Although if someone were to ask Death, it was a one-sided rivalry, due to Hades' animosity towards her. Death didn't really care at all about Hades, which was why she took it upon herself to be the bane of the Olympian's existence.

"I could sense your frustration from all the way to my home, Olympian. Might I ask, is your anger tied to the one known as Issei Hyoudou?"

"Don't toy with me, Shinigami! The son of Amaterasu is slowly becoming a Grim Reaper, all due to the scythe he acquired within this Realm."

"Oh, how interesting." Death said.

"...Why do you say that?"

The smirk on Death's face said it all to Hades, much to the latter's displeasure and rage.

"It was you! You saved him again! You extracted the scythe from his body, didn't you?!"

Death covered her hand with her mouth, and started to giggle.

"Fufufufu. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Her laughter brought chills to the Grim Reapers, including Pluto, who was willing himself to stay by his master's side. Calming down for a moment, Death brushed a strand of black hair behind her ear.

"If I wanted to take the credit, then I would say yes. However, it was not I who saved the son of Amaterasu."

Hades narrowed his eyes as he sat back into his throne. He was finding it hard to believe the Shinigami's words. If the personification didn't help Issei, then who did?

"Do you want to know who saved him, Hades?"

The Olympian God of the Dead looked back at Death, who still held that constant grin on her face. Her soulless black eyes squinted in unwavering amusement.

"Who?"

"It was himself."

"...Come again?"

"You heard me, Olympian God of the Dead. He saved himself from the scythe. There was no help from the Welsh Dragon, the Yamata-no-Orochi, myself, Amaterasu, the Apocalypse Dragon, or the Ouroboros Dragon. He did it all by himself."

"Impossible. What about God?"

"The Biblical God? Oh Hades, don't you know, the God from the Bible is trapped within the depths of my Domain. He couldn't have possibly helped Issei remove the scythe."

Hades snarled at the reminder, before he thought of something else.

"If you or the other creatures mentioned did not assist Issei Hyoudou, then someone more powerful had to have helped him. More powerful than you specifically."

"Fufufu. I can assure you, my creator did not help him. I've told you many times that my creator only watches from the above."

Hades slammed his fist on the throne in anger, his eyes glowing with hatred. Death didn't even flinch, smiling as though she was talking to a child.

"None of this would be happening if you hadn't taken him into your Domain in the first place, Shinigami! The very first time he died during his battle with the Storm God, Susanoo, he was supposed to go _this_ Realm specifically! And yet you took him!"

"Hmm. Do you feel angry every time that fact clouds your mind, Hades?"

"You _will_ be silent!"

"Fufu. Oh, silly Hades, haven't you learned yet? Nothing can silence Death. But Death can silence you."

Hades didn't know why, but the words of the Shinigami began to make him feel uneasy. Death's smirk began to contort, frightening the nearby Grim Reapers. Floating towards the Olympian God, Death crossed her arms, holding her scythe tightly.

"Did you not hear what I just said, Hades? You can never silence me, but...I could always silence you. Without even a second thought."

"..."

"I wouldn't even have to try. Just a tap on your bones, you'll be nothing but ashes. A tap with my scythe, I'll just send you to my Domain, where the lost souls can feed on you. After all, they have been teething, so they'll need something hard to chew on."

The Olympian God of the Dead couldn't believe it. Death itself was threatening him. Him! Or...was it just playing mind games with him? He couldn't figure it out. One minute Death could be playful and teasing, then it could be ominous and downright monstrous.

Moments later, Death leaned back and floated away from Hades. It pained Hades to even think about what he was thinking, but the thought immediately passed into his mind.

Death was far stronger than him by a large margin. While he was a God, Death was a Primordial Entity and essentially a fundamental driving force in the Universe. Not only did she exist before him, but she was the strongest primordial entity to emerge in the Universe.

"I believe it is time for me to go." Death said with a sigh.

Turning around, Death moved to float away from the Olympian God, while the Grim Reapers watched her leave. Seconds later, she stopped for a minute, and turned her head slightly.

"Try to trick Darling into becoming a Grim Reaper again, you'll die before you even try to make another plan."

Hades shook in his throne, but kept his retort to himself. A black energy full of shadows began to form around Death, and the personification's darkened expression seemed to lighten for a moment.

"Thanks for the Grim Reapers by the way. My lost souls will be so happy."

"..." Hades once again kept his words to himself.

"Oh, by the way," Death began before she transmitted away, "Watch out."

"...Wha-"

"GET SOME!"

Hades looked up at a crack began to appear from the sky of his Realm. The top burst forth, revealing the almighty Apocalypse Dragon. His crimson body glowed with massive and destructive power.

The Olympian God of the Dead stood up from his throne, widening his glowing eyes at the sight of his Grim Reapers disappearing. Sensing that his master was in danger, Pluto took out his scythe and reappeared in front of Hades.

"Not to worry, Hades-dono. I'll prote-"

Before Pluto could finish his sentence, he spotted two well-endowed women in their early twenties. One woman had a Gothic Lolita headpiece on her hair, while the other had dark-crimson braids tied behind her back.

Pluto flinched, recognizing the black-haired woman as Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon. The other woman, he didn't recognize at all. As though as he had sensed Pluto's confusion, the Apocalypse Dragon turned his attention to Ophis and 666.

"Hey, Ouroboros. Trihexa. Are you two ready to kick some ass?"

"Yes. I, am ready."

"Kill...kill." The Trihexa uttered in a crazed trance.

Pluto jumped in his spot.

'666?! The Trihexa?!'

Looking back at the surprised Hades for a moment, Pluto lifted his hands up, dropping his scythe on the ground.

"Forget it. I'm done, Hades-dono. I just remembered...I really don't want to die."

"Pluto! You son of a-"

Before Hades could shout at his traitorous minion, Pluto transmitted away, suddenly feeling safe within Death's Domain. Alone without anyone to support him, the Olympian God of the Dead looked up at Great Red, Ophis, and 666, who all glared at him.

Ophis slowly lifted her hand in front of her eyes and pointed to Hades, creating a large sphere of black energy. The Trihexa followed suit, charging a crimson diamond-shaped energy in her mouth. Smirking widely, Great Red summoned a sphere of pure energy that surrounded his entire body.

Hades stood still in front of his throne, preferring he would rather be talking with the Shinigami some more instead of staring potential death in the face.

...Wait, that didn't make sense at all.

"Oh fu-"

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

The 'Above' entity stood silently, watching the three most powerful entities of the supernatural give Hades the beating of his life. It seemed Issei was right.

Apparently watching events play out all the way from the Omniverse _was_ like watching television.

Placing her hand to the side, the entity released a small amount of energy, which formed into a small beverage. Placing the straw into her lips, the 'Above' savored the taste and watched on with keen interest.

"Fufu. They are really beating Hades to the brink of death. How amusing."

Slurping her drink, the 'Above' entity sent her dark-green eyes over to her first creation. Death sent her creator a smile as she stood next to her.

"I wonder. Why didn't you accompany Ouroboros and Apocalypse to the Realm of the Dead?"

The 'Above' entity removed her lips from the straw, and licked her lips.

"_Because it was not necessary. Issei is safe now, resting at his adoptive human cousin's house. If I were to involve myself in the Dragons' vendetta, it would be pointless and serve no meaning to me._"

"Huh. I suppose that makes sense."

The personification of death looked at her creator, and widened her black eyes a little when she spotted something different about the 'Above'.

"That's interesting. Creator, where did you get that scrunchie?"

The 'Above' entity placed her beverage down and pulled her ponytail in front of her eyes.

"_It is a gift from little darling. He gave it to me for no significant reason_."

"Hmm. That was awful sweet of Issei. Giving a gift to God Herself."

"..._It would appear so_." The 'Above' stated as she fixed her scrunchie.


	28. Re-awakening

**Leiko's House**

"My Ise-itoko..."

The adoptive cousin of Issei hated it when her little cousin was in trouble, directly or indirectly. He just couldn't be left alone, no matter how many times he tried to pursue a normal life. One of the main problems was that Issei wasn't normal at all.

After all, how could someone who was abnormal live a normal life? It was so strange.

Leiko sighed as she gently pet Issei on his head. As much as she was happy that Issei was in her house, the sudden occurrence surprised her. If she recalled, Issei never knew where she lived. Judging from that standpoint, Leiko deduced that Great Red had to have brought him here, since the Apocalypse Dragon was the only one who'd visited the house before.

The young woman became more aware as she spotted Issei's body glowing with a bright crimson aura. Her crimson-eyes widening in bewilderment, Leiko went to lightly tap her cousin on his cheek.

_SLAM_

Leiko jumped and turned around to see her door completely destroyed. Standing in front of the house was a handsome young man with silver-white hair. Leiko noticed something strange about the young man. He had a silver Dragon Arm on the back of his body that glowed with power.

The young man looked around Leiko's house, and uttered an annoyed grunt when he spotted who Indra wanted him to test out. Pacing towards the woman sitting next to the sleeping Issei, the man went to grab the woman.

Leiko fought back and kicked the man in the stomach, and immediately went over to shield Issei. Recovering almost immediately, the young man pat his stomach and walked dangerously towards Leiko.

"I wouldn't do that again if I were you, wench. I didn't come here to deal with trash like you."

"Don't you lay a single finger on Issei!" Leiko yelled, "He hasn't done anything to you!"

"Oh you misunderstand me. I'm not planning to injure him. Yet. I have orders to test his exact strength level."

"Look just leave, all right? He's resting right now!"

"Like I give a shit." The young man snarled, "Now get out of my way!"

"Not a chance, you bastard!" Leiko narrowed her eyes at the man.

Losing his patience, the young man manifested a sword with Demonic features, and raised it above Leiko's head. Leiko remained still, not even flinching. The young man suddenly sported a sadistic smile.

"Allow me to tell you my name before you die. I am Siegfried, the descendant of the Nordic Siegfried and the wielder of Gram, the strongest Demonic Sword in existence. You should be honored that you know my name."

"You arrogant asshole!"

"I've been called worse." Siegfried said before he brought his sword down.

Leiko held in her breath as she closed her eyes, waiting for the sword to come in contact with her.

_CLANG_

"What?!"

Shaking slightly, Leiko hesitantly opened her eyes and gasped. Blocking the sword in front of her, were three incredibly sharp twelve-inch crimson-glowing metallic claws. Leiko looked on in shock as she moved her head, finding out the claws were unsheathed from Issei beneath his knuckles.

Siegfried widened his eyes at the sight of the quiet Issei.

'Are those Dragon Claws? They're laced with great power!'

Siegfried almost jumped in shock when Issei suddenly got up and grabbed him by the head. Still remaining quiet, Issei lifted his arm and tossed the swordsman out of where Leiko's door formerly stood.

Leiko collapsed on the couch. The Dragon Claws retracting beneath her cousin's knuckles were glowing with greater intensity. The bright crimson energy surrounding the claws reminded her of the color of Great Red and his scales.

"Leiko-san."

"?!"

Leiko looked up to see Issei with his back turned to her. The elder Hyoudou tensed, wondering what her younger cousin was going to do next.

"Are you all right?"

"...Yeah. I-I'm fine, Ise-itoko."

Nodding silently, Issei took his time to look at his newly acquired Dragon Claws closely. The claws had torn through his skin, but it seemed that his flesh was regenerating quickly than he had expected. Issei didn't know why, but he felt that his entire body was different, and he knew it had something to do with his wife and his brother-in-law.

'They've done so much for me.' The young man noted in his thoughts.

Ophis and Great Red had saved his life, right when he had finally defeated the manifestation of his insecurities and doubts.

Inspecting his crimson metallic Dragon Claws, Issei sheathed them and unsheathed, wincing ever so slightly. As he looked back at Leiko, he noticed that she was giving him a strange look.

"What's the matter?"

Leiko gulped down a nervous lump in her throat and got up, walking over to her cousin, looking at his new weapons.

"Dragon Claws," She began, "So does this mean you're part Dragon now?"

"...I don't know what I am anymore, Leiko-san."

"YOU BASTARD!"

Leiko and Issei turned to see an injured Siegfried walking with a limp. The swordsman was shocked and humiliated to say the least. He was told by Cao Cao and Heracles that Issei Hyoudou was just a weak God. Nothing more.

Siegfried didn't know if the members of Hero Factions had their heads stuck up their asses, if they were just trolling him. Either way, he couldn't let the Solar God get away from embarrassing him.

His rage growing by the second, Siegfried screamed as the silver Dragon Arm glowed with intense power. Leiko looked on in horror as she witnessed four Dragon Arms growing out from Siegfried's back, leading up to a total of six arms. In four of his arms were several Demonic Swords, emitting a tremendous energy.

Issei sensed the power and turned to Leiko, putting his hand on her shoulder. Leiko looked at her cousin, trying to find out what he was doing.

"You'll be safe at my house." Issei said.

And Leiko understood what he meant, and with a nod, she allowed herself to be transmitted away. Looking back at Siegfried, Issei clenched his fists, his Dragon Claws burning with crimson intensity. He held the claws in front of his face, trying to manipulate their structure.

"Are you mad," The swordsman taunted, "You have three claws on one hand, while I have four swords. Do you honestly think that's enough to beat me?"

"Actually, it's more than enough."

"Why do you say that?"

Issei responded by retracting two of his Dragon Claws back into his skin, leaving one more claw intact. Siegfried bristled with rage at the fact that Issei had just given him...

The middle claw.

"Because I only need one to take care of the likes of you." Issei finished with a fierce glower.

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Laboratory<strong>

"Serafall, would you please let me out of this ice!" Azazel begged.

"No, because you won't learn anything if I do!"

"Look, I said I didn't mean to do what I did to Issei! It was a mistake!"

"The only question is why, Azazel?" Gabriel glared at the Fallen Angel, "You know that Issei, unfortunately, doesn't favor the supernatural world that much. And then you do stuff like this! You don't think that will worsen his opinion of our world further?"

Azazel got ready to speak, before his breath caught in his throat. Gabriel's beautiful face was slowly becoming a scowl, with her hands forming into fists. He knew right then and there that if Gabriel's wings were out, they would have altered on and off from normal to night-black.

The Angel Seraph struggled to keep her emotions under control. She had watched Issei since he was a child. She felt his energy signal from the day he was born, and the day he had turned six years old. She remembered the time she had visited his room, giving him an angelic kiss in affection.

"Gabriel."

At the call of her name, the Angel turned to see Serafall giving her a look of concern. Seconds later, Gabriel calmed down, maintaining her glare towards Azazel.

The Fallen Angel inwardly groaned at the irony. He had always wished for Gabriel to fall and transform into a Fallen Angel, but he also didn't want Gabriel to beat the living hell out of him.

Pushing his luck, Azazel looked to Serafall, who glared at him as well.

"If I apologize to Issei Hyoudou, will you let me go?"

"Not a chance." Serafall said as soon as Azazel finished.

"Oh come on!"

"Azazel, you should be lucky the Ouroboros Dragon and the Great Red didn't kill you for what you did." Gabriel kept her voice neutral.

"Well, besides beating me up, isn't there something else I can do to 'redeem' myself?"

"Burn your porn collection." Serafall decided.

"...Come again?"

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of the Dead<strong>

"Have you had enough punishment yet, Olympian God?"

"Kill...kill."

"Do not crawl away from us, Hades."

The Olympian God of the Dead groaned out in great agony. He hadn't been in so much pain since the time his own father had consumed him along with his siblings. To be beaten by the Apocalypse Dragon, 666, and the Ouroboros Dragon...was a confounding humiliation.

"We're not done here, Hades." Great Red growled, "You've got a lot of nerve pulling a damn trick like that to Issei."

"It's the damn boy's fault for coming here in the first place!" Hades spat out, "He didn't _have_ to save those pathetic Fallen Angels!"

"Even so," Ophis began, "The Shinigami told us how she took my mate to her Domain instead of allowing him to pass to this Realm. That could only mean you were planning to manipulate my mate anyway."

"You damn beasts do not understand!" the Olympian shouted, "He wasn't supposed to go to that blasted Shinigami's Domain!"

"If he had taken residence in this Realm while working for you, I would have killed you much earlier." Ophis threatened.

"How dare you say th-!"

Hades was cut off when Ophis suddenly reappeared in front of him, and held his skull with both hands. The God of the Dead snarled when he felt his skull beginning to crack.

"You harmed him. You harmed _my_ mate. Anyone who does so shall not get away with that. I, can guarantee you that."

"You dare to threaten me, Ouroboros Dragon?!"

"Not a threat. I, am promising you."

"Fufu. I'd never thought I'd see Hades so scared."

Hades' rage resurfaced at the voice of that accursed Shinigami. He looked over to see Death with a smile full of malice and amusement. Strangely, in her hand was a large bag of popcorn. Ophis kept her blank expression as she looked at Death.

"Shinigami. What are you doing in this Realm?"

"Oh, don't mind me, Ouroboros. I'm just enjoying the show."

"You think this is all just a game?!" Hades almost squealed.

Almost.

"If you're here," Great Red began, "Then where is the Omniversal Entity?"

"Fufu. You can she's enjoying this show and another as well."

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

Placed next to the 'Above' entity was a large bag of popcorn and a large-sized beverage. The entity ate her snack food as she watched what was going on in the Realm of the Dead.

Sipping her beverage, the 'Above' moved her dark green eyes to another section of the Universe, spotting a familiar Solar God and a member of the Hero Faction.

Removing the straw from her lips, the 'Above' narrowed her eyes slightly, maintaining her emotionless expression.

"_So little darling has recuperated in such a short time. And those claws retracting out of his knuckles are remnants of Great Red's flesh_."

The entity tilted her head.

"_The swordsman of the Hero Faction wields Dragon slaying swords as well. Little Darling should take care to be mindful when or if he finds out_."

Looking back at her previous section of the Universe, the 'Above' blinked once.

"_How_ _i__nteresting. There is another presence near the realm of Hades. The Heavenly Emperor_."

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of the Dead<strong>

"This can't be happening to me!" Hades roared in disbelief.

"Oh, but it is, Hades," Death began, "Did you really think you could get away with manipulating Darling like that? I always knew you were ignorant, but I'd never thought you'd be this idiotic."

"Stop toying with me!"

"Hades, quit your shouting and stand up. You're an Olympian God for goodness' sake."

The inhabitants in Hades' Realm turned to see a muscle-bound man with a buzz-cut hairstyle. He wore circular sunglasses, an aloha shirt, and a jewel around his neck.

"The Hindu King of the Gods and Lord of Heaven. Indra!" Hades exclaimed.

Indra crossed his arms as he looked around his surroundings. He widened his eyes in mild surprise when he spotted the legendary Ouroboros Dragon and the Apocalypse Dragon. He rose an eyebrow at the woman with matching crimson hair and eyes.

Looking over again, Indra saw the female personification of Death sending a malevolent smirk towards him. Despite being a God, not even Indra could ignore the power emitting from Death itself.

"What are you doing in my Realm, Indra?" The God of the Dead asked.

"You don't remember? I came to talk to you about Issei Hyoudou."

Ophis immediately bristled at the mention of her mate.

"What are you planning to do with my Issei?"

Indra rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"_Your_ Issei? Ha! Don't tell me that the Solar God is affiliated with the likes of you Dragons."

"Actually," Death began as her smile twisted, "Darling was marked as the Ouroboros Dragon's mate, Indra."

"What?!" Indra exclaimed, "How is that even possible?"

"Why the hell are you even here?" Great Red snarled, "If the kid is involved in anything he's unaware of, then you better tell us."

"...Very well. Just recently, I sent Heracles, who is one of my subordinates, to give Issei Hyoudou an invitation."

Ophis narrowed her eyes as she remembered the one who threatened her mate.

"What did the invitation entitle?"

"Why I'm glad you asked, Ouroboros Dragon. An invitation to a tournament."

"Spit it out!" Great Red shouted, "A tournament of what?"

"Haha! A tournament of the Gods!"

The Apocalypse Dragon and the Ouroboros Dragon shared a look, sensing that something was amiss out of what Indra was saying.

"What's the catch?" The True Dragon demanded.

_**Please read and review :)**_


	29. Greek Earth Goddess & The Void

**Tokyo**

It was ironic that even though Issei chose to move and live in Tokyo, the city of Japan was one of the areas he often fought his enemies in. One could wonder why Issei lived in the place where he settled his battles.

The young man narrowed his eyes as he blocked Siegfried's swords with his newly acquired Dragon claws. The two had ended up teleporting in the middle of Tokyo, crashing onto a train. Just like his battle with Yoru, Issei made sure to keep his balance on the large vehicle.

Siegfried grunted as he swung his swords, intending to slash Issei. Issei effortlessly blocked the attack with his claws and pushed the swordsman forward, causing Siegfried to lose his balance.

Catching the swordsman off guard, Issei rushed forward and grabbed Siegfried by the throat, positioning his claws right in front of his face. A crimson aura flowed around Issei, the power of Great Red's flesh radiating around his body. Siegfried scoffed, trying to pry Issei off of him.

Gritting his teeth, Issei lifted his hand up, and his Dragon claws glowed with power. With a grunt, he slashed off the four Dragon Arms, causing the swords to absorb them back into Siegfried's body.

"Issei Hyoudou."

At the call of his name, Issei stopped and looked to see a silver magic circle appearing on the train. The circle released a silhouette, revealing the Vanishing Dragon himself.

"Vali?"

"The descendant of Lucifer?!"

Vali Lucifer crossed his arms as he looked over to Siegfried.

"You and the rest of the Hero Faction just won't leave Issei Hyoudou alone, will you? It's so obvious that he's far stronger than you by a large margin. I don't understand why you, Heracles, and Cao Cao were thinking you could ever challenge the Sun itself."

Issei kept his claws near Siegfried, staring at Vali with a curious look on his face. He blinked several times at his rival, wondering what he was doing here. Noticing Issei's confused stare, Vali looked over to him and sent him a friendly smirk.

"The supernatural really wants you to get involved in its world, doesn't it Issei?"

"...I guess so." Issei said calmly.

Vali huffed and summoned a sphere of demonic energy. Seconds later, he smiled in satisfaction as he sent it to Siegfried, who recoiled in surprise.

"What the hell did you just-!"

Before Siegfried could yell out his discomfort, he suddenly disappeared away from Issei's grasp. Issei widened his eyes and sealed his claws within his knuckles. He stood up straight and looked over to Vali.

"What happened to Siegfried, Vali? Did you send him somewhere?"

"You don't have to worry about _where _I sent Siegfried. My team and I are just going to interrogate him."

"So besides attacking my cousin, he's done other horrible things?" Issei asked with a frown.

"Knowing the Hero Faction, I wouldn't put it past him." Vali answered as he summoned another magic circle.

The energy of the Vanishing Dragon increased the size of the circle, the silver aura glowing with intensity.

"We'll see each other again, Issei." Vali said with a nod.

The descendant of Lucifer disappeared, leaving Issei on the moving train. Sighing, the young man closed his eyes as he tried to sense the familiar energies he was used to.

He could sense Leiko at his penthouse apartment, so she was safe. He could sense Ophis, Great Red, and 666, but they were far away.

Issei opened his eyes as he discovered where they were.

'What are they doing in Hades' Realm?'

Before Issei could do anything to find out, two manifestations of energy formed on top of the running train. Seconds later, the first energy leaked out an enormous source of Solar power, and the other an unknown source.

The Solar Energy formed into a familiar Goddess, and the other source took the form of a very tall buxom woman with huge breasts and wide hips. She had long blue hair and light brown eyes.

"M-Mom?" Issei questioned.

Amaterasu smiled warmly as she walked over to her son and hugged him.

"My little Sun." The Sun Goddess cooed lovingly.

"So, Amaterasu. This is your son?" The blue-haired woman asked.

"Yes, this is him. Issei, there's someone who's been wanting to meet you for a long time."

Letting go of her son, Amaterasu watched Issei look towards the other woman with curiosity. The woman smiled at Issei as she walked over to him.

"It's nice to finally meet you face to face, Issei. I must admit, I've been eagerly waiting for this moment."

Issei blinked in confusion, his eyes wide.

"You have? But...I'm not that special."

"Oh, don't talk like that." The woman said with a warm smile, "You certainly are a special boy. Amaterasu has told me so much about you ever since she sent you to Earth."

"?!"

"Tell me," The woman began, "how many times have you saved the Earth?"

Issei blinked again and rubbed his head.

"Well I..."

"Fufufufu," The woman giggled, "It's all right if you don't remember. In either case, I've always wanted an opportunity to talk to you."

"Why?" Issei asked.

"...I've cared for many beings on this planet, Issei. Every creature, human, and all species are all precious to me. Even the Earth is precious to me. Although, technically the Earth and I are one and the same."

'One and the same?' Issei repeated in his thoughts, 'What does she mean?'

The woman's smile seemed to widen as she put her hand on her shapely chest.

"Your confusion is very adorable. But allow me to alleviate it. When I say the Earth and I are one and the same, I mean it."

'Hmm. If that's true...then does that mean she's a Primordial Entity like Shinigami-san?'

"You've done so much for the people on Earth, Issei. I'm so grateful to you for doing that."

"I'm uh...glad to hear you say that." Issei said, unsure about the woman's praise.

"Fufufuf, so modest. You don't have to be. It's comforting that you've been helping Mother Nature."

"...I have?"

"Of course you have. After all, you're talking to her."

"What?!"

Amaterasu chuckled at her son's shocked expression and crossed her arms.

"My little Sun. The woman in front of you is the Mother Goddess of all life. She is the mother and the embodiment of the Earth you live on."

Issei stared still in shock and looked back at the woman, who smiled and closed her eyes.

"Your mother is right, Issei. My name is **Gaia**, the Goddess of the Earth."

"?!"

* * *

><p><strong>The Void<strong>

It was a common mistake to confuse the Void to the Dimensional Gap. Looking through the Dimensional Gap was similar to peering through a kaleidoscope. In the Void, however, there was complete darkness. No traces of light to be seen. Not even the Omniverse could be compared to the Void, being that the former displayed galaxies, the Milky Way, and several other Universes.

There were only two entities that lived within the Void. Two entities, who have never once physically interacted with the Universe, existed as powerful driving forces. One caused disarray and the other caused balance. They were the complete opposites of each other, and yet, they coexisted willingly.

The first entity took the form of a tall woman with white eyes, full and wavy black hair, and an ample shaped figure. She stood within the depths of the Void. Her eyes had black colored ripple-like patterns, which contrasted against the white color.

The other entity in the Void took the form of a slender, dark-skinned woman with golden-colored eyes and long purple hair, which was kept up in a ponytail. Unlike the other resident in the Void, the woman's golden eyes had pin-wheel like patterns.

The female personifications of Chaos and Order gazed at the other, with the former maintaining a smirk of amusement, and the latter holding a gentle but small smile. They spoke no words to each other, knowing exactly what the other thought.

Chaos crossed her arms, her golden eyes squinting.

"You seem to have been keeping a watchful eye on this Universe, _sister_."

"Indeed I have," Order's smile widened, "And you appear to be amused with the events in this world."

Chaos' smirk deepened as she chuckled with mirth.

"It's so amusing to see how the events play out in the Universe."

"Do you truly think so?"

"Why not? If our Creator observes and lives with the mate of the Ouroboros Dragon, then what stops us from taking an interest in him?"

"Hmm. I suppose you're right. Although you should be mindful of the events you place the son of Amaterasu in."

"You forget who you're speaking to, _sister_. After all, life is nothing without a little _chaos_ to make it interesting."

_**Until next chapter! :)**_


	30. The Solar God Returns

**Issei's Penthouse Apartment**

"Return of the Sun." Leiko silently read the title of the book she was holding.

The elder Hyoudou sat on her cousin's couch, reading the book that Issei had gotten when she took him to the library six months ago. She didn't know why she had picked up the book in the first place. It was her little cousin's after all.

Leiko looked around her cousin's apartment, feeling the comfortable and secure atmosphere surrounding her. Although she was safe, Leiko still thought about how worried she was for her cousin.

"That Siegfried guy was after Issei for some reason. Was he part of the supernatural was well? Why is everyone in that world trying to manipulate my Ise-itoko? He hasn't done _anything_!"

Leiko sighed and rubbed her head, trying to calm her nerves.

"I don't know how Ise-itoko can endure all of this. Every time it's as though the supernatural world keeps track on him without him knowing. It's like the supernatural world _wants_ him to be involved. They just won't quit!"

The young woman slammed the book down on the table, and crossed her leg over the other.

"Is the supernatural against him or something? He clearly wants nothing to do with that world, and yet they keep involving him within its conflict. They just won't leave him alone."

"Fufu. You are certainly right about that. The supernatural seems to like Darling."

Leiko jumped at the voice and turned around to see the female personification of Death. The embodiment gave a chilling yet friendly smile to Leiko, who stared back cautiously.

"D-Death?"

"It's been a long time, Leiko Hyoudou. How are you?"

"I-I've been well."

Death tilted her head as she noticed how uncomfortable Leiko was.

"Oh, do not worry. I am here, and I am also somewhere else. I won't be here for long."

"Somewhere else?"

"Death is omnipresent, dear. Surely you must know that. How else am I able to keep watch of my precious lost souls, even when I am away?"

"I never thought of it like that."

"Hmm. So tell me. You are worried about Darling and his conflict with the supernatural?"

Leiko closed her eyes and sighed as she collapsed on the couch.

"Of course I'm worried about my Ise-itoko." She replied, "I'm just wondering why won't they just leave him alone? He doesn't deserve _any_of this. He just wants a normal life."

"Well that is unfortunate," Death said in a solemn tone, "Darling does indeed want a normal life. But he can never attain it."

"Well, why not?"

"Isn't it obvious, dear? It's because he's not normal. He was never normal to begin with, due to his heritage. He is a adorable little Godling. Not to mention the fact that he's the son of the Shinto Goddess of the Universe and the Sun. It's only natural that he'd attract the world of the supernatural, even if it was unintentional to begin with."

"So it's because of what he is?"

"Essentially. But of course if he had never come in contact with the supernatural, he would have never come in contact with me and my creator."

"Your creator? What do you mean?"

Death sent Leiko a teasing smile in amusement.

"Oh that's right. You aren't fully aware of the entity. Tell me, do you remember the day you, Darling, Ouroboros, Apocalypse, and the Trihexa went to the pool party in the Underworld?"

"Yes, I do."

"Do you also remember the crater you and the rest of the Three Factions saw, along with Issei and the host of the Vanishing Dragon?"

"I remember that too."

Death's smile twisted as she chuckled.

"Did you see the very tall woman sitting on top of Darling? The woman with the black hair and the dark-green eyes?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"She's my creator."

"What?! Wait, hold on! How can someone create an entity that takes away life?"

"Fufu. The Creator is immensely powerful. Without it, none of this would even be here. The Earth, the planets and the Solar Systems, the Universe, and even beyond those, wouldn't be here if it weren't for my creator."

Leiko's eyes were wide with shock.

"Hold on. When you say your creator, do you mean the God from the Bible?"

"Not even close, Leiko Hyoudou. My creator and the Biblical God you mortals revere so much are completely separate entities. The God from the Bible created the Angels, Archangels, and so forth. But my creator precedes the Biblical God."

"So they're not one and the same?"

"Exactly. For one thing, the God of the Bible is dead."

"?!"

"He's trapped in my Domain. _God Herself_ on the other hand, surpasses me in power. For that reason, I am unable to reap her."

"Th-that's insane! So if she's the true…_God_, then how does she know Ise-itoko?"

"We primordial entities have been watching your lovely little cousin ever since the day he was born. Like Ophis and myself, my originator has taken a rather affectionate interest in Issei. She often visits him in this very apartment."

"She does? Well where is she now?"

"If I know my dear creator well, she is probably in her original residence, the Omniverse."

"The what?"

"The Omniverse. It's where _God Herself_ melded everything in existence."

"...H-how can someone that powerful exist?"

"As I have said, there are other primordial entities within this Universe. Some have already heard about Darling and have seen what he has gone through. And my creator brought existence to all of them."

"…So the true God is the strongest entity in existence. I still don't understand why she's hanging out with Ise-itoko of all people."

"Hmm. Your adorable cousin is a primordial magnet, Leiko Hyoudou. He's attracted Ophis, 666, myself, and even God Herself."

'A primordial magnet,' Leiko muttered in her thoughts, 'This is like talking to Red about harems again.'

"Well, I'm afraid I must go back to where I was originally was."

"Wait, hold on." Leiko pleaded.

Death raised an eyebrow as she paused.

"Yes?"

"Your creator, the true God…is she really a female?"

Death's twisted smile returned.

"There's a certain pattern we primordial entities follow every time we meet that adorable cousin of yours for the first time. We are all genderless."

"Wait, if God is genderless, then why did it take on the form of a woman?"

"The same reason Ophis, the Trihexa, and I did."

"Why?"

"Because we harbor an affection for Darling. And plus, there's no rule saying we're not entitled to pick our own gender."

"…"

"Fufufu. I love confusing you mortals. Anyway, it is my time to leave."

Death tapped her scythe on the floor, and a black misty aura manifested around her. Smiling at Leiko, the Shinigami nodded to her.

"We'll meet again, Leiko."

Death then disappeared from Issei's apartment, leaving a surprised Leiko.

Blinking several times in bewilderment, Leiko sighed and got up from her seat, walking over to Issei's desktop. She looked over on the desk, and stopped as she noticed a frame on the table. Leiko blinked and picked the picture frame up, and slowly, her lips formed up into a warm and loving smile.

'My precious Ise-itoko…'

It was a picture of herself and Issei, with her fingers holding up a peace sign behind his head. Her smile widened when she spotted the confused look on her little cousin's face in the photo.

Her smile faltering for just a minute, Leiko placed the picture down and crossed her arms.

"All he really wants is peace," Leiko deduced about her cousin, "But not because he has a hero complex. He just wants to maintain a normal life and be left alone. Is that really too much for him to ask?"

The elder Hyoudou shook her head and closed her eyes as she hugged herself tightly.

"I wonder where my Ise-itoko is right now. I just hope he's all right. Wherever he is..."

* * *

><p><strong>Train Station (In Tokyo)<strong>

"Goddess of the Earth? You mean there are more primordial entities beside Shinigami-san?"

Gaia smiled as she tilted her head and closed her eyes.

"Why of course there are, honey. There are others in this Universe. Do not tell me you're surprised."

"…A little."

Amaterasu giggled at her son's reaction to meeting another Goddess.

'My little Sun's so adorable when he's confused.'

Blinking several times, Issei looked back at his mother.

"How do you two know each other? I thought you were from different mythologies." He asked, prompting Amaterasu's smile to widen.

"That's true, my little Sun. But many Gods and Goddesses from the other mythologies are well aware of each other. In our case, my power often brought energy to the life on Earth, which is what Gaia represents. Gaia and I have been good friends for a long time."

Issei listened as he absorbed the information from his mother. Standing still for a moment, Issei inwardly sighed and looked up.

"So what are you doing here? Did something happen at your home? Or is something happening on Earth that I don't know about?"

"Well actually," Gaia began, "The Gods and Goddesses have been invited to an event hosted by the Heavenly Emperor Indra."

Issei looked to the side as he remembered the letter Heracles had given him. Amaterasu noticed her son's reaction, and her brown-black eyes softened as she placed her hand on his cheek lovingly.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

The young man looked up at his mother, wondering if he should even tell her about the letter. If Amaterasu and Gaia were invited, then there was a chance many other deities were invited as well. Which meant that more supernatural disasters were going to commence.

Issei shook his head and crossed his arms.

"It's nothing. So you got invited to the tournament too?"

"You were invited as well?" The Goddess of the Earth asked.

"One of Indra's 'subordinates' gave me an invitation to go."

"Is that a fact? Well, are you going to go, honey?" Amaterasu asked.

"I've been trying to get away from the supernatural for a while, Mom."

"You have? Tell me what's wrong, Issei."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because it's something that_ I_ have to deal with." Issei replied with a frown.

Amaterasu widened her eyes at Issei's response.

"Deal with? Sweetie, what do you mean?"

"…I know because of what I am, the chances of me having a normal life are pretty much nonexistent. And because of that, the world of the supernatural is going to keep bothering me."

"So you've decided to confront that world then," Gaia said before adopting a small smirk, "What _are_ you going to do, little Godling?"

* * *

><p><strong>The Void<strong>

"Yes, _little Godling_. What _are_ you going to do?"

"Are you having fun, sister?"

The entity known as Chaos squinted her golden eyes in amusement as she looked over at the entity called Order.

"You know me so well. It seems the son of Amaterasu has finally decided to confront the world of the supernatural. And it also seems that tournament might serve as an advantage to him."

"The tournament of the Gods? You know the true reason why Indra decided to conjure this event in the first place, right?"

"Do not doubt me, sister. I know of the reason, and it's pathetic. Hosting a tournament for the sole purpose of finding a warrior who could help him fight Shiva, the God of Destruction. They have remained rivals for more than centuries, but Indra is far too weak to challenge Shiva all by himself."

Order's white eyes widened a bit slightly as she analyzed Chaos' words.

"It sounds absolutely desperate to me. Indra gathering the strongest fighter to combat the God of Destruction."

The embodiment of disorder and disarray smirked as she closed her eyes.

"It would be interesting to see if Issei Hyoudou turns out to be the strongest fighter, seeing as the Ouroboros Dragon and the True Red Dragon God Emperor crafted his new body."

"Yes, it would be interesting." Order agreed.

* * *

><p><strong>Realm of the Dead<strong>

Death, whose eyes were closed, smiled as she regained the essence of her consciousness that had recently conversed with Leiko.

'Interesting mortal.' Death thought, 'Her affection for Darling is overwhelming; almost similiar to the amount of Ophis' love.'

She looked over at Indra, and tapped her scythe on the ground of Hades' Realm.

"A tournament of the Gods?" Death repeated in curiosity, "My, my, that sounds very interesting. Is there any particular reason you decided to uphold this event?"

Indra smirked as he crossed his arms.

"Is it so wrong for a God such as myself to arrange a tournament?"

"Not when it involves my mate." Ophis said with a scowl, "He does not have to participate in this event of yours if he does not want to."

"And believe us, he's not a fan of the supernatural world." Great Red snarled, "And I agree with the Shinigami. What's the point of hosting this tournament?"

"It is just something that I've pondered upon for a while."

"Not...a good reason." 666 snarled as she narrowed her crimson eyes, her body leaking malevolent energy.

"Fufu," Death chuckled, "I agree with the Trihexa. That is not a very good reason at all."

Both Indra and Hades tensed when they heard Death's words.

'What did she say?!' Hades' eyeless sockets edged upwards, ''That woman is 666?! The Trihexa?! How did the son of Amaterasu acquire such powerful entities on his side?!'

"My Issei has done nothing to you." Ophis said as she frowned, "Stop involving him in your situations."

"You know, Ophis has a point. The supernatural world seems to have bothered Issei Hyoudou enough times already."

The dwellers of the Underworld looked up to see the Vanishing Dragon himself descending towards them. Great Red and Ophis sent a nod to Vali, while 666 tilted her head.

"Vanishing Dragon," Great Red greeted, "What are you doing in Hades' Realm?"

Vali smirked as he crossed his arms.

"During my interrogation with one of the members of the Hero Faction, he finally told me where to find the Heavenly Emperor."

Indra narrowed his eyes at Vali's words.

"Who did you interrogate, host of the Vanishing Dragon?"

"That's none of your business, Hindu God. But _I_ have something to say to you."

"And what would that be?"

"I want in."

"In what?"

"I want to join your so called 'tournament of the Gods'. It sounds very interesting to me."

Indra raised an eyebrow.

"Such an odd request. But unfortunately, you don't qualify for entering into my tournament. You are not a God. You are a mere hybrid. A Devil and a Human."

"And you think I care about your little rules? Either way, I already have access to enroll in the tournament."

"How?"

"The one I interrogated, who was apparently the messenger, had flyers of passes and invitations. He didn't seem like he minded it, so I took the pass with me."

"As to be expected of a Devil." Indra sneered,

"It has nothing to do with my heritage; it was just me being one step ahead of you and Siegfried, Indra."

"Siegfried? How on Earth did you come in contact with him?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Hindu God. After all it was you who sent him to test Issei Hyoudou's capabilities."

Ophis immediately bristled at Vali's last sentence, and her dark-gray eyes narrowed into slits.

"You sent someone to harm **MY** mate?" Ophis growled, her monotonic voice almost rising.

Before Indra could respond, a flashing light suddenly illuminated through the sky of Hades' Realm. The light then traveled down towards Hades. Seconds later, the light formed into a human-shaped figure with his arm set back with a fist.

"What th-?" Hades tried to utter.

_FALCON PUNCH!_

The light revealed Issei, who moved his fist forward, sending a sharp punch to the Olympian God of the Dead. The impact was so fierce that it caused Hades to crash into Indra, who was caught off guard by Issei's unexpected presence.

"OOF!"

"GUH?!"

Hades and Indra grunted as they tried to untangle themselves. Issei opened and clenched his fist, sighing as he looked over at his wife and brother-in-law. His eyes softened when he noticed Ophis' eyes start to water with tears.

"M-my Iss-"

Ophis was suddenly cut off when she felt a warm pair of lips smash against her own. The Ouroboros Dragon felt an intense wave of pleasure in her body. Her eyes widened as her body stiffened.

The Grim Reapers, Hades, and Indra looked on in shock as they watched Issei kiss the second most powerful Dragon in existence. Great Red, Vali, and Death only smiled.

Shaking his head, Hades sent Issei a glower.

"What was that for, son of Amaterasu?!"

Issei released his lips from Ophis', and turned to look at the Olympian God of the Dead.

"Kissing my wife here." Issei quipped in annoyance before going back to kiss Ophis, who eagerly kissed her mate back hungrily.

It was at that point that Hades realized something strange.

"Hey! What happened to the scythe?!"

"You don't remember, Hades?" Death teased with a twisted smile, "We already had this discussion. Darling destroyed it."

"But that's impossible! The scythe that manifested from my realm cannot be destroyed!"

Issei released his lips from the Ouroboros Dragon, who looked as though she was about to faint from pleasure.

"Obviously it can," He said to Hades, "Cause that's what I did."

"How?! How did you destroy it?!"

"How I destroyed that scythe is irrelevant right now."

"So Issei Hyoudou," Vali smirked as he looked over to his rival, "Now that you're healed, is there a reason you've come here?"

"There is a reason, Vali." Issei replied as he looked over to Indra, "And it has to do with _you,_ Indra."

Indra huffed as he pushed Hades off of him.

"And what is your business wi-"

Indra's words were interrupted when a fist clouded with solar energy slammed into his face. The Heavenly Emperor grunted in a combination of pain and annoyance as he crashed into a crowd of Grim Reapers.

"That was for sending Heracles _and _Siegfried to 'test' me, and for them threatening my cousin! I won't let anyone get away with trying to hurt Leiko-san!" Issei shouted.

Indra's eyes twitched as he groaned in pain.

The Apocalypse Dragon, who watched the beatdown Issei had just delivered to Hades and Indra smirked with heavy amusement and pride.

"Bony bastard. Hindu God."

At the call of their names, Hades and Indra looked over to the Great Red, whose smile widened.

"You both got knocked the fuck out!"

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

The 'Above' Entity tilted her head as she observed the commotion in the Olympian God's realm. Her face didn't show it, but she felt a feeling of satisfaction when Issei punched both Hades and Indra.

"_Issei Hyoudou had a right to do what he did. The Olympian God and the Heavenly Emperor had it coming._"

Brushing a strand of black hair behind her ear, the 'Above' narrowed her dark-green eyes.

"_And the Vanishing Dragon has decided to join the tournament as well. Either he wants to defeat the various Gods, or he wishes to engage in a honorable rematch with little darling._"


	31. Blade of the Vanishing Dragon

_{...}_ = **Ddraig**

_(...)_ = **Albion**

_((...))_ = **Albion's clone**

_[...]_ = **Yamata-no-Orochi**

* * *

><p><strong>Hades' Realm<strong>

Indra rubbed his cheek and winced at the throbbing pain. Throwing the crowd of Grim Reapers off of him, he glared at Issei Hyoudou, who sent a harsh glower back at him.

"So I hear you're creating a tournament, Indra? Any reason why you're having it so suddenly?"

The Heavenly Emperor scowled as he got up from his spot.

"I've already told your allies, I just wanted to arrange something for us Gods, that's all."

"A tournament just out of the blue?" Vali question, "Ninety-nine percent of the time, Gods don't normally do something this trivial."

"And you can't put faith in that last one-percent?" Indra quipped.

"Just tell me one thing, Indra," Issei said as he crossed his arms, "What happens after the tournament is over?"

Indra narrowed his eyes. The whole reason he was arranging the tournament at all was because he wanted to gather a group of warriors in order to defeat the God of Destruction, Shiva. But he couldn't relay that information to the son of Amaterasu or to the Vanishing Dragon.

Perhaps he could stretch the truth a little.

"When the winner of the tournament is announced, then they will have a chance to defeat a secret opponent."

"A secret opponent?" Vali said as he rose an eyebrow in response, "Does this particular opponent happen to be even stronger than you?"

Indra pursed his lips, but he willed himself to keep his composure.

"Yes. And the opponent is also a deity such as myself."

"Interesting. So then it probably will be a good tournament. I'm looking forward to it. And what about you, Issei Hyoudou? You're joining the tournament as well, right?" Vali asked Issei.

Issei kept his brown eyes on Indra, refusing to even say a word to him.

"Yeah, I am. But not for the reason you think, Vali."

"So what's the reason?" Vali asked again.

"Because I'm tired of the supernatural world involving me in its conflict. It's something that's been bothering me for six months. Every time I try to maintain a normal life, someone or something from this world tries to threaten or harm me, my cousin, or even my wife and my brother-in-law."

Ophis and Great Red widened their eyes a little at Issei's words. Vali kept his focus on his rival, while the female personification of Death tilted her head.

Issei closed his eyes and sighed.

"I never asked to be introduced to the supernatural world in the first place. Because all this world has done is bring me trouble. From kidnapping Leiko-san, Kokabiel, Loki, and my uncle and other cousin trying to kill me, Hades trying to turn me into a Grim Reaper, and you Indra, sending Heracles and Siegfried to threaten Leiko-san and 'test' my power. I can't just sit back and let the supernatural world have its way anymore."

Ophis' dark-gray eyes remained wide as she stared at her mate.

'My mate seems to have finally discovered his resolution to his conflict. But what is my darling Issei going to accomplish?'

The son of Amaterasu opened his eyes and looked up at the Heavenly Emperor. Indra closed his eyes and chuckled.

"Foolish boy. You say you want to get away from the supernatural world, and yet even you fail to realize, that if you hadn't come in contact with this world, you would have never met the Ouroboros Dragon or the Apocalypse Dragon in the first place."

"That's where you're wrong, Indra," Issei declared with a determined glare, "Because I met Ophis when I was only six years old. I'm sure that in a couple of years, I probably would have met Great Red too."

Indra scowled, but he managed to control himself.

"Humph. Then what is the true reason why you're joining this tournament?"

"I have a reason, Indra. I'm just not going to tell you."

"It wouldn't be wise to withhold secrets from me, boy."

"_You_ invited me to the tournament, Indra. And plus, you sent two members of the Hero Faction to see what I could do. If anything, I owe you nothing. You're the one who keeps involving me in your plans."

"What are you planning, son of Amaterasu?"

"It's none of your business of what I have planned. Just know that I _am_ going to this tournament of yours. You can be sure of that."

"Hmm," Indra hummed, "Your mother will be pleased then. I believe I sent her an invitation as well."

"Yeah, I know. I saw her earlier."

"Oh, have you? Did you whine to her about how the supernatural world has been hurting you?"

"As a matter of fact, I didn't. I just told her I wanted to _get away _from this world. And the reason I told her that was because I didn't want her to solve any of my problems."

"Humph. How odd of you."

Vali smirked at his rival's words, and he crossed his arms.

"So when is this tournament?"

Indra turned to Vali and scoffed.

"It's in two weeks, host of the Vanishing Dragon. That should give you fools enough time to hone yourselves in combat."

"Glad to hear it." Issei said.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Penthouse Apartment<strong>

"You're going to enroll in what?!"

"A tournament, Leiko-san."

"Ise-itoko, what on Earth are you thinking?!"

"If it helps, I'm going to enter as well."

"You stay out of this!"

Sitting on the couch opposite to Issei and Vali, was Leiko Hyoudou.

The elder Hyoudou was holding the Return of the Sun book in her hands tightly, her nervousness and anxiety indicated by the tight grip she held on the book.

Leiko couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her crimson-ruby eyes were wide with shock as she gazed at Issei and the silver-haired young man next to him.

Issei sighed and crossed his arms. The elder Hyoudou shook her head and looked over to Issei.

"A tournament?! Why did you even enter?! You said you wanted to get _away_ from the supernatural world, right?!"

"Yeah, I did say that. But there's a reason I'm entering this tournament and one reason only."

"And what's the reason?"

"...Do you remember what you said to me six months ago, Leiko-san?" Issei asked softly.

Leiko blinked several times in confusion.

"What I said?" She repeated.

"It was right before we were introduced to the supernatural world. When...you were kidnapped by Riser's peerage." Issei winced at the harsh memory before sending his eyes to his older cousin, "You said that I was weak, and that I needed to be strong enough to endure life's hardships."

Leiko's eyes widened at her younger cousin's words, and the distant memory of her rebuking Issei returned into her mind full-force.

_So small._

_You're so small, my Ise-itoko. Too fragile._

_With the way you are always acting, life is not going to be your greatest ally. Life is going to take advantage of you, because it relies on your personality to help screw you over._

_You're weak, Issei. And because you're so weak, you'll never be strong enough to live your own life if you keep acting like this. You need to stop being so nervous and better yourself!_

Leiko looked as though as she had been heavily struck across the face. Her eyes widened at the memory of her words, and her small mouth fell open.

"I've realized that trying to have a normal life without doing anything is only hurting me." Issei continued, "The supernatural world keeps targeting me, so I need to do something about it."

Leiko didn't like what she was feeling right now. A look of fear and genuine worry appeared on Leiko's face as it dawned on her how her words held so much impact on her little cousin.

Unaware of what was going on in his older cousin's head, Issei looked up as he gave her a soft smile.

"I want you and everyone else to be safe," Issei said, " So that's why I'm going to challenge and blow through every obstacle that comes my way."

"Ise-itoko..." Leiko whispered breathlessly.

_RING RING_

The elder Hyoudou gasped as her phone vibrated in her pocket. Fumbling around frantically while keeping her eyes on her younger cousin, Leiko reached into her pocket to take the device out and quickly looked at the screen.

"It's Mom," Leiko began as she pressed the answer button, "Ise-itoko, we have to talk about this later. Don't go anywhere."

Leiko walked out of the apartment door, leaving Issei and Vali in the living room. The host of the Vanishing Dragon was quiet, noticing his rival's silence.

"Vali."

At the call of his name, Vali looked up at Issei, who still had his back turned to him.

"I need to show you something."

The Devil-Human hybrid rose an eyebrow in response, before he stood up and walked over to his rival.

"Put your hand on my shoulder." Issei said.

"What?" Vali asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Please. It's important." Issei pleaded, prompting Vali to roll his eyes and sigh.

"Fine."

Vali complied with his rival's order, and he placed his hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, Vali felt his consciousness begin to fade, as a pitch-black darkness took over him.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

Issei and Vali reappeared within the former's subconscious. Vali widened his eyes and looked around the unfamiliar area.

"What is this area?"

"It's my mind. My Inner World."

"Inner World?"

_{Partner. Is that you?}_

The two rivals looked up to see the Welsh Dragon peering down at his host with green eyes. Issei smiled at the Red Dragon Emperor, and nodded to him.

"Yeah. It's me Ddraig."

_{Damn partner. Do you know how long I've been trying to contact you?}_

_[Issssssei?]_

The Yamata-no-Orochi appeared next, her golden reptilian eyes wide with surprise. Issei sent another smile to the Orochi.

"Orochi-chan. It's good to see you too."

"So the Eight-Forked Serpent lives in your mind as well?" Vali questioned.

"Yeah. But there's another entity that lives in here too, Vali. And I'm giving him back to you."

"What?"

_((What? You're giving me back to my original host?))_

Narrowing his eyes, Ddraig turned to see an exact replica of the Vanishing Dragon.

_(Ddraig, what the hell is this?!)_

_{Ah, Albion. It's been a while. Never thought I'd be happy to see you!}_

_((What are you talking about, Ddraig? I'm Albion as well!))_

_{Yes, but the original is always better.}_

Vali stared wide-eyed at the clone of the Dragon sealed in the Divine Dividing Gear. He sent his light blue eyes over to his rival, and tried to keep his composure.

"Issei Hyoudou. Why is there another Albion in your Inner World?"

"Do you remember the time when Ophis and Kami were fighting each other?"

"Kami?"

"The name for the Omniversal entity."

"Oh. And yeah, I remember. Albion gave you permission to use the power of the Vanishing Dragon to stop their fight. But that still doesn't explain-"

_{Oi, Albion. You never explained the fragment of your soul to your host?}_

_(Well, I never expected our powers would be mixed together, Ddraig! Anyway, Vali. A portion of my soul was automatically sealed into the jewel. So when Ddraig's host absorbed it into the alternate form of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the portion of my soul that was sealed in the jewel, manifested in his Inner World.)_

"If that's true," Vali began with a confused look, "Then why do you want to return him to me, Issei Hyoudou?"

"Because he's not my Dragon, Vali. He wasn't meant to be my Dragon. And obviously Ddraig and Albion's clone don't get along, so their tension might apply to the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. That's part of the reason why I haven't been using the sword."

_(Hmm. That's rather thoughtful of you, host of Ddraig.)_

_{See, Albion. My host isn't so bad.}_

_((Hey! Don't I get a say in this? I like it here!))_

_{Yeah, well I don't! And neither does the Orochi!}_

_[Hate you, Vanissssshing Dragon.]_

_(Issei Hyoudou.)_

"Yeah, Albion?"

_(...You may keep the portion of my soul.)_

"Huh? But I don't understand! Don't you need your full soul in order to be complete?"

_(Don't forget, host of Ddraig. We Dragons are made out of vast masses of energy. Eventually, our energy will regenerate itself.)_

"I still don't understand. Your clone affects the power of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, so the chances of using it will only work against me."

_(Then perhaps the portion of my soul can manifest as something else.)_

_{Hmm? Something else? What are you implying, Albion?}_

_(You know exactly what I'm implying, Ddraig. If my clone merging with that of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi serves only as a detriment to your host, then perhaps he can manifest as something different.)_

Vali blinked as he listened to his Dragon's words.

"What? You mean as a another weapon?"

_((Hmm, perhaps my original is correct. I could manifest as something else other than the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.))_

_{What?! Why didn't you say anything?!}_

_((You never asked.))_

Grumbling to himself, Ddraig shot a small beam of crimson energy towards Issei's hand. The energy manifested into the familair sword, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The weapon glowed with crimson-black energy, the aura of Ddraig and the Yamata-no-Orochi, respectively.

Seconds later, Albion's clone shot a silver beam out of his eyes, which traveled over to Issei's other hand. The clone's energy formed into a small blade, about the size of Issei's arm, and resembled a trench knife, and had an enclosed handle with a hand guard.

_((There. Now I can manifest without having to interfere with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.))_

_{Good riddance. At least your power won't interfere with ours anymore.}_

Issei's eyes remained wide-eyed as he looked at the second blade, forged from the powers of Albion's clone.

"Albion. I don't-"

_(No need, Issei Hyoudou. This serves as my gratitude and payment to you...saving Vali and I earlier.)_

"Amazing." Vali intoned.

Issei sighed and loosened his grip on the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the other blade, allowing them to be sealed within his body.

"I'll make sure I put your power to good use, Albion."

_(I appreciate that, host of Ddraig. Now, back to business. This tournament, hosted by the Heavenly Emperor. No doubt, he's planning something.)_

_{You're right. But what exactly is he planning?}_

"He said there was a special opponent the winner of the tournament had to face," Vali said with his arms crossed, "But there has to be more than that."

_(...Ddraig. Do you remember Shiva?)_

_{The God of Destruction? Yes, what about it?}_

_(It's obvious that he's had a rivalry with the God of Destruction for many years. Perhaps the reason he is having this tournament at all is because he wishes to prepare a battle against Shiva.)_

"Well, does this Shiva even know what Indra is planning?" Issei asked.

_{I doubt it. Even though Shiva is the God of Destruction, Indra is arrogant, and so he might be the one that instigates his encounters with Shiva.}_

"Hmm. So Shiva is innocent in all this," Issei deduced, "I wouldn't be surprised if Indra invited the God of Destruction as well."

"Well of course," Vali said, "Shiva's probably the 'secret opponent' the winner of the tournament has to face."

_{I'm assuming that when the winner of the tournament is involved, Indra will convince he or she that Shiva is malevolent, which would heighten the winner's resolve to join up with him.}_

"Which means that we have to take down Indra during the tournament." Vali declared, "Should be a piece of cake. I've been wanting to engage in a battle with Gods anyway."

_(As to be expected of my host.)_

Vali then looked over to Issei, who had his arms crossed.

"Issei Hyoudou. What do you think?"

"We're going to need some help if we're going to go up against Indra, Vali. And I don't want my wife or the Great Red to help me anymore. I'm grateful for them for doing it before, but it's about time I did things for myself and make a plan."

_{Humph. You seem to be growing up, host. And what is your plan?}_

Issei was silent for a moment as he adopted a look of hesitance on his face. Noticing this, Vali frowned at his rival's silence.

"Issei," Vali began, "What are you thinking?"

Issei maintained his quietness, before he looked over to Vali.

"There's someone whose been trapped in Death's Domain for a long time. And I know he's still alive, because he's a God, just like me."

The host of the Vanishing Dragon narrowed his light-blue eyes.

"No." Vali refuted in disbelief, "Not him. You're not serious, are you?"

"Believe me, Vali. I'm not exactly happy about it either, because he tried to kill me. But my mother and his father have been enemies for so long that I think it's time that I at least try to break the cycle."

"You better hope you know what you're doing, Issei." Vali warned him.

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

"I hope my mate knows what he is doing. He wants to combat his way through the supernatural world through Indra's tournament ."

"Fufu. This plan of his sounds very interesting."

"_You will have to take him into your Domain, Shinigami. So be present at his apartment when he and the Vanishing Dragon awaken._"

"Fufufu. As you wish, my dear Creator."

Death chuckled as she disappeared, leaving Ophis and the 'Above' entity alone in the Omniverse. The entity had summoned the Ouroboros Dragon to talk with her about Issei, and from the Omniverse, they could see the Inner World of Issei.

The 'Above' entity tilted her head as her dark-green eyes narrowed.

"_It seems little darling is finally confronting the world of the supernatural_."

"That is good for my mate's well-being. I, am wondering if my mate's plan will succeed. The God that is trapped in the realm of the Shinigami harbors intense hatred for Issei. It is unknown if he will even listen to what my mate has to say."

"_Little Darling has accomplished many things. Perhaps he can succeed in this stage of his plan_."

"I, hope so."

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

"Do you like what I've done with the place, Darling?"

"It looks the same as always, Shinigami-san. A little creepy."

"Fufufu. Then that means I've done a good job. So do you really think involving this God into your plan will work?"

"...The Moon and the Sun have been at odds for so many years, Shinigami-san. I just want to see if it's possible if I can break this cycle between us."

"Hmm," Death hummed as she summoned a portal, "Then good luck."

The personification disappeared, leaving Issei. Taking a deep breath, Issei walked into the portal, leading him into an area of shadows.

The young man took a step further, and narrowed his eyes as he sensed the familiar energy source. The energy was the opposite of his own, and it seemed to spike upwards as though it sensed his own.

"You scum." A gravely voice growled out.

Issei looked up and his eyes narrowed at the sight of him. He recognized the young man with dark eyes, long spiky black hair that reached his mid-back and short bangs that framed his forehead. He wore a silver necklace, boots, wristbands, and a belt that all sported blue jewels. Lastly, he wore white pants and a dark-black sash.

"What's up." Issei began.

The young man sent Issei a deep scowl and remained silent, his aura intensifying.

"Yoru." Issei finished as he greeted his cousin.

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	32. Cousins & Purgatory

**Death's Domain**

"What the hell are you doing here, you damn bastard!"

"I didn't come here to start a fight with you, Yoru."

"Like hell you didn't! Just get out of my sight! I don't want to talk to you!"

"Do you really think I _have_ to talk to _you_? No, as a matter of fact, I really don't. I wouldn't even be here if I didn't want to talk to you."

Yoru sent a harsh glower over to his cousin, the son of Amaterasu. The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, after having his death by the hands of his cousin, had been sealed and trapped within the Realm of the Shinigami. Much like their uncle Susanoo, Yoru was able to endure through the lethal attacks of the lost souls in Death's Domain.

The Lunar Energy flowing from Yoru exploded through his prison, sending bolts of energy towards Issei, who stood still. The bolts soared past him, almost close to coming in contact with him. Issei didn't even flinch, choosing to stare quietly at his cousin, who glared back.

"Yoru. I won't say I'm sorry for what happened to you, because I would be lying. You know I didn't have a choice."

"Oh, please! Don't act as you're the hero!"

"I didn't say I was the hero."

"Well you obviously are! You defeated me in order to save those pathetic Devils, Angels, and all of the humans on Earth! That's what a hero does, right? Always defeating the villain!"

"It may come as a surprise to you, Yoru, but you started this little rivalry between us, not me."

Yoru uttered a growling sound that caused the lost souls around him to back away in fear. The son of the Moon's power grew fiercer, becoming more vibrant with each release.

"I didn't start shit! It was because of you! It was always you!"

"What are you talking about? The first time we met was six months ago! And even in those past years, we've never met once!"

"You don't feel the same way, _cousin_, because for some reason you could never sense my energy!"

"What?"

"You heard me. Don't you remember what those supernatural idiots always said about us? The Sun and the Moon in a constant state of disarray and imbalance. We're destined enemies, _cousin!_"

"Well maybe we don't have to be!"

Yoru bristled at his cousin's unexpected words, until he suddenly fell silent. Issei stood where he was, noticing Yoru's hesitance. The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto seemed to be struggling to respond to Issei's declaration.

Yoru's eyes twitched as he tried to concentrate. He always hated Issei because of what he represented. The Sun and the Moon were separated, but Yoru never understood why. Did Issei know why? Yoru assumed that his cousin should have been aware of his Shinto heritage by now.

Unless...

The Lunar God looked up at his cousin and kept his scowl.

"You fool."

Issei blinked several times.

"What?"

"Didn't you hear what I said? I called you a fool! You can't honestly expect us to do what our parents failed to do, you moron!"

"Damn it, Yoru!" Issei cursed his cousin, "We won't know until we try! Don't you understand, I'm just trying to make some amends between us!"

Yoru looked at his cousin, and then he formed a sadistic grin on his face.

"Humph! What do you expect from your opposite, _cousin_? A true freak! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Yoru's insane laughter echoed throughout his prison, bringing more fear to the lost souls that surrounded him and Issei. Moments later, the son of the Moon let his chuckles die down, and he set his face into a serious glower.

"Why are you here?"

Issei inwardly sighed, and he prepared himself, not wanting to set his cousin off.

"Do you want to be trapped in here in the Realm of the Shinigami? Forever?"

"What's it to you?"

"I'm not asking for the sake of asking, Yoru."

"And what if I do?"

"Then you won't get a chance to battle in the Tournament of the Gods."

At his cousin's words, Yoru's interest was piqued.

"Battle of the Gods?"

"Yes, a tournament."

"And what makes you think I want to join this so-called Tournament of the Gods?"

"Because I know that life in Shinigami-san's Domain can be kind of...gloomy."

"So? I like gloomy."

"Maybe gloomy wasn't the right word to use," Issei mused before shaking his head, "A-anyway, I just want the both of us to settle our differences. For the time being, anyway."

"Are you asking me to forgive you?" Yoru questioned.

"No, because I wouldn't expect that from you. I also don't expect you to forgive me, because I don't forgive you for almost trying to kill everyone. I'm not here to ask for your forgiveness, Yoru."

"Then what _are_ you here for?"

"To give you a chance to battle against the Gods in the tournament. Let's just cut to the chase, Yoru. You obviously don't like me, and I don't necessarily like you either."

"The feeling is mutual, _cousin_."

The Solar God inwardly sighed. He wasn't surprised, since he knew his cousin wasn't able to be negotiated with easily. They were opposites, unfortunately. The Sun and the Moon. It didn't help that their respective parents weren't exactly on great sibling terms either.

"Look Yoru," Issei began as he crossed his arms, "I'm giving you a chance to get out of Death's Domain and battle in the tournament."

"You expect me to say yes?"

"To be honest, I don't expect you to do anything." Issei sighed as a pool of Solar Energy manifested around him.

Yoru scowled as he watched his cousin begin to fade away. Looking back at Yoru, Issei sent him a determined look.

"I can't control or influence your decision. It's up to you, Yoru."

The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto sent Issei a growl before the Solar God disappeared entirely. As he sat with the lost souls that hesitantly surrounded him, Yoru let out a grunt of annoyance, causing several of the deathly creatures to back away once more.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Penthouse Apartment<strong>

"So. What did he say, Hyoudou?" Vali asked.

"He didn't say anything, Vali. I just told him it was up to him. Hopefully, he's still thinking about it."

"Hmm. Well either way, the tournament is coming up in two weeks, so we shouldn't dawdle about."

"...Yeah," Issei began as he looked over to Vali and clasped his hands, "Ok, let's train then. Where should we train?"

Vali put his hand on his chin as he thought about his answer.

"We could train in your subconscious."

"In my Inner World?"

"Before we saw each other again, you said you've been training for the past six months, in your head. How did you do it?"

"Well I trained by using the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi with Ddraig and Orochi-chan in my Inner World. Whenever I did the training in there, my physical body, which is outside of my mind, would adapt to the training."

"Hmm." Vali hummed, "So the same thing might work for me. All right, let's start."

* * *

><p><strong>The Void<strong>

"This is unexpected."

"What is, sister?"

Chaos sent her golden eyes over to Order, who gave her a confused look at her inquiry.

"The son of Amaterasu asking the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto to assist him in his plan. Issei Hyoudou has become even more interesting."

"Indeed he has. But what he's doing is something not done before. The Sun and the Moon have been apart ever since the feud between Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. Since that day, the powerful star and the natural satellite alternate between night and day."

"Hmm. Even if the Lunar God agrees to what the Solar God has to say, it isn't going to be easy for the latter."

"That's right, sister. The son of Amaterasu stated that he didn't want the Infinite Dragon God or the True Dragon to help him any more. Even our Creator has stated that it will not help him in his plan."

"Well then, this is his test. Even more fulfilling is that he wants to do it by his own agenda. He's finally growing up. Perhaps things might, as the mortals say, 'spice things up'. After all, it won't be fun to watch if the son of Amaterasu is able to succeed so easily."

Order chuckled as she covered her mouth, prompting Chaos to send her sibling a mischievous smirk, her golden eyes glinting.

"Fufufu. Oh my dear sister, you are so chaotic!"

"Fufu," Chaos chuckled in amusement, "But what shall happen? Hmm. Huh?"

Chaos' smirk disappeared as she looked away. Order noticed her sibling's pause, and she tilted her head.

"Sister?"

"...I sense living beings present within the realm of Purgatory."

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

"Purgatory?" Ophis stated as she tilted her head.

"_Yes,_" The 'Above' entity answered, "_It is the place where I sealed the first beasts I brought to existence_."

"Sealed?"

"_The first beasts are extremely powerful, due to their appetite. If set free, they will consume any living thing, including themselves_."

"I, wonder. Why did you create them?"

"_I_ _created them on a whim. The Shinigami seemed to find them entertaining, but expressed disappointment when I sealed them in Purgatory_."

"If you chose to seal them, then they wield immense power. How powerful did you make them?"

"_The first beasts predate that of the Biblical God, mythological Gods, and the three main supernatural creatures."_

"...I see. So they are extremely powerful."

* * *

><p><strong>Purgatory<strong>

Purgatory.

It was an endless forest, gloomy and overcast. It was extremely dark for anyone to see. The constant fog and mist it gave off appeared almost overwhelming to the senses. The most lethal creatures of the supernatural were sealed in this realm.

A pool of energy suddenly manifested within the forest, and it released the auras and silhouettes of five individuals. As their shadows brightened, the auras revealed Indra, Heracles, Cao Cao, and two others.

Cao Cao, holding the True Longinus on his shoulder, looked up at Indra, who looked around the realm cautiously.

"Indra, what are we doing here?"

"Quiet. The creatures of Purgatory will hear you."

"Are they truly strong?" Heracles asked.

"Of course they are," Indra answered, "What other reason would they have been sealed?"

"Humph. Siegfried probably would have said differently." A young man with black hair and spectacles said.

"Sieg-kun probably would say that, " A beautiful young girl with blonde hair giggled, "It's too bad he couldn't come with us."

"Georg, Jeanne, don't you two remember?" Heracles asked in disbelief, "The dumb-ass got himself in trouble when the Vanishing Dragon caught him."

"Yes, and he interrogated him," Indra answered with a scowl, "For now, he is incapacitated. Therefore, he is of no use to us."

"Well, what about Leonardo? He could have helped us." Georg said.

"Leonardo has all the creatures he needs. If he were to be in this area, he'd be a bit more unsettled than he already is." Cao Cao commented.

"So what are we doing here?" Jeanne asked the Heavenly Emperor.

"This world is a worse realm than that of the Underworld. Blood and gore exists all around here. While Devils and Fallen Angels exist in Hell, creatures that are far more powerful and deadly than that of Gods exist here."

"Stronger than that of Gods?" Cao Cao repeated in surprise, "What kind of creatures are here?"

"Leviathans." Indra revealed.

"...Leviathans?" Georg repeated.

"What are those?" Jeanne asked further.

"The Leviathans are amongst the earliest creations in existence. They are beasts that harbor an insatiable and ravenous hunger. They are immensely strong and destructive, so they were locked away in Purgatory."

"Did you say ravenous hunger?" Heracles asked.

"Yes I did. The Leviathans satiate it by finding and taking a sustainable food source. If driven to further insanity and hunger, they'll resort to eating their own kind."

"For goodness sake," Georg commented with a disgusted face, "If they eat their own kind, then how on Earth are they able to function? Don't they have some type of leader of something?"

"As unbelievable as it sounds, they follow a certain hierarchy," Indra began, "You see, there is an alpha Leviathan that serves as the leader and the pinnacle of authority. Without their leader, the Leviathans resort to acting like regular monsters."

"Well then," Jeanne began, "Who's their leader?"

"_**That...would be me.**_"

The members of the Hero Faction turned to find the source of the distorted voice. Jeanne hummed as she looked around her surroundings, her curiosity getting the better of her. Suddenly, a black substance manifested in front of her, causing the girl to back away in fright.

"Ahh!"

"_**Such an annoying wail from a human**_**.**"

Indra narrowed his eyes at the black pool, before he collected himself and offered a polite expression.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Indra, the Heavenly Emperor. Might I ask what your name is?"

"_**I have no name. I am merely the leader of the ones that dwell in this realm**_. _**Why have you come here**_?"

"I've come to ask for a request." Indra replied, "I request the need for some supernatural assistance."

"_**Only I control the actions of the Leviathans. I will not give any of them to you**_."

"Oh, you misunderstand me. I require _your_ assistance."

"_**My assistance?**_"

"Yes. There is a certain God we feel you will be interested in. And as we all know, Leviathans have a very ferocious appetite. And the regular creatures consume human beings."

At Indra's remark, Cao Cao, Heracles, Georg, and Jeanne noticeably tensed. The black substance exuded a strong and potent aura, bringing chills to the Hindu God.

"I have also heard," Indra began with a smirk, "That the leader of the Leviathans have a vast appetite for extremely powerful Gods."

"_**Yes. I have a particular craving for...radiant energy that derives from the Sun**_."

Indra's eyes widened at the leader Leviathan's words, before he composed himself.

'Ah, even better!'

"As it just so happens, there is a God that wields powerful Solar Energy within his body. Extremely vibrant."

Suddenly, the black substance began to change its shape, prompting the Hero Faction to back away from it.

The black pool took the form of a voluptuous and shapely woman with long flowing black hair. She had two large gold horns that protruded from the sides of her head and pointed in an upwards fashion. A mark which had the shape of a unicursal hexagram, appeared on her forehead.

Sensing that the leader was done with its transformation, Indra walked over to it.

"Strange," He commented, "I assumed you creatures were genderless."

"_**Your assumption is correct. Our Creator brought **__**us **__**to **__**existence without a gender. However, it allowed us the choice to pick our gender based on our decision.**_"

"Um," Cao Cao spoke up after a long time, "Is there any particular reason _why_ you chose the form of a female?"

"_**The form I choose has no meaning to me. It is merely a whim.**_"

The leader then turned to look at Indra and narrowed its eyes.

"_**Bring the boy to me. The one who wields Solar Energy, so that I may consume it. Down to its last drop.**_"

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	33. The Tournament Begins

**Omniverse**

The Ouroboros Dragon and the Omniversal Entity stood in silence as they surrounded the depths of the Omniverse. The entities peered through the specific Universe, watching Issei and Vali train in the former's Inner World.

"Both my mate and Vali are growing exponentially stronger." Ophis commented, "Their training should work to their advantage when the tournament starts."

"_With the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword, along with his natural energy source_," the 'Above' entity began, "_Issei's training should go well. There is also the case of the Vanishing Dragon granting permission to allow Issei to keep the portion of his soul_."

"I, am surprised at Albion's decision. I, am also surprised that Albion's double manifested into a different sword, rather than interfere with Ddraig's power. Now my Issei has two swords."

"_If anything, the sword created from the clone of the Vanishing Dragon will retain the powers of the Divine Dividing Sacred Gear. So little darling has access to the powers of both the Two Heavenly Dragons in his disposal_."

"It is my mate's decision to put their power to good use. So he is not taking them for granted."

Tilting her head, Ophis turned her attention to the entity.

"Are you going to act as a spectator and go to the tournament?"

"_No. I will remain here and observe everything from the Omniverse. Most likely, the Shinigami will remain in its own Domain as well. As I have stated to Issei, we are driving forces within the entire Universe_."

"I see. Baka-Red and the Trihexa are going to watch in the Dimensional Gap. I, shall watch my mate fight."

The 'Above' Entity tilted her head.

"_How will they watch the tournament from the Gap_?"

"Baka-Red used his power to manifest a dimensional viewer, allowing him to watch anything."

"_I see_."

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Mansion<strong>

"NO! Please, just stop! I said I was sorry!"

"Gabriel?"

"Go ahead and burn another, Sera."

Azazel couldn't believe the situation he was in. It was apparent that Serafall meant what she said when Azazel asked her what he could do to redeem himself.

By burning his porn collection.

Scraps of magazine covers, pages, and fabrics were scattered across the ground. It didn't surprise Serafall or Gabriel that the mountains of porn collections almost reached the ceiling of Azazel's house.

Narrowing her violet eyes, Serafall summoned a pool of demonic energy. She gave Azazel a glare as she shot the blast towards the collection, causing it to disintegrate into nothingness. The Fallen Angel, who was still trapped in Serafall's ice prison, could only stare in horror.

Gabriel slowly turned her cold stare over to Azazel, and glowered at him.

"Because of you, the sports day at Armageddon had to be cut short, because not only were you not there, but because I had to come to the school and try to find out why Issei wasn't even there."

"Sirzechs-chan said Ise-chan was going to be at Sports Day, but since he wasn't, and you never showed up, the event was short. We had to speed everything up." Serafall informed the Fallen Angel.

"...Who won the race?" Azazel asked weakly.

"We did." replied Gabriel.

"Haha, of course the Angels did. Anyone would have known that."

Widening their eyes, Serafall and Gabriel turned to see an elderly man with long, grey hair and a matching beard with an eye-patch over his left eye. Azazel blinked several times in surprise at the unexpected appearance of the man.

"Odin? What are you doing here?"

"It's been a while, Azazel." Odin greeted his friend, "Six months. Looks like you got yourself in a pickle. Anyway, I've come here to send a friendly message."

The Norse God then turned to look at the Seraph and the Satan of Leviathan.

"What are you busty women so angry about? You'll get the chance to see Amaterasu's kid again."

At Odin's words, Serafall rose an eyebrow in response.

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, so you haven't heard yet. There's an upcoming tournament for the mythological Gods."

"A tournament?" Gabriel asked.

"That's right. And rumors are, Issei Hyoudou is going to enter. I wouldn't be surprised if he did, being Amaterasu's son and all."

"Ise-chan's going to enter?!" Serafall exclaimed, her childish excitement resurfacing, "Well, when is it?!"

"Calm your tits, will you?" Odin smirked pervertedly, prompting Serafall to give him a pouty glare, "It's going to be in two weeks, so he has all the time to train."

"Two weeks," Gabriel repeated to herself, "Who is hosting this tournament?"

"The Heavenly Emperor, Indra."

"Indra?" Azazel asked, "What's the reason?"

"Meh," Odin grunted, "Probably something to do with Shiva. You know how they are. Or rather how Indra is with Shiva. He never got along with the God of Destruction."

"Well, whatever the reason, it doesn't matter," Serafall said with a smile, "As long as I get to see Ise-chan, then this will be a good tournament."

"Hmm," Gabriel hummed as her mood finally brightened, "Then we'll get to see Issei during the tournament. At least we can watch him. I'll inform Michael and the rest of the Seraphim about this."

"And I'll tell Sona-tan and the others!" Serafall rang cheerfully, "They haven't hung out with Ise-chan for a while, especially Saji."

"...So now that everything is good and all," Azazel began nervously, "Can I get out of this ice prison now?"

"The day I let you out of your prison is the day Hell freezes over." Serafall scolded.

There was a sudden and long awkward silence between the foursome, with Gabriel, Odin, and Azazel staring at Serafall with confused looks. Seconds later, Serafall caught on to what she just said, and she gave Azazel a moody glare.

"Shut up," She said with a pout, "I know my powers are ice-based."

* * *

><p><strong>Student Council Room<strong>

"What?! Newby is going to do what?!"

"Please don't yell, Saji. You're in my ear."

"Yes, Saji. We're right here."

"Kaichou, how can I not yell?! I don't hear from Newby in a long time, and now he's suddenly entered into a tournament?!"

"You heard right, Saji-chan! Ise-chan is entering!"

Serafall maintained her cheerful smile as she watched the reactions of her sister's Pawn. Sighing, Sona sat down onto the chair.

"So Hyoudou-san is going to fight with other Gods. Hmm. Sounds very different from the Rating Games we Devils enroll in."

"But why all of a sudden?" Tsubaki mused, "A tournament event just out of the blue?"

"Don't be so worried, fuku-kaichou," Saji said, finally calm, "If something goes bad, then I'm sure Newby will take care of it."

"It'll be interesting to see how strong he's become." Sona commented.

"Yes, it will."

Sona, Tsubaki, Saji, and Serafall turned to see some familiar Devils. Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima smiled as they walked in the Student Council Room.

"Rias," Sona greeted, "Are you coming to watch the tournament as well?"

"As a matter of fact, Sona, I am. It isn't every day we get to see an event other than Rating Games."

"Ara, ara. So Issei is joining the battle as well?" Akeno said with a smile.

"Looks like it," Tsubaki replied, "I just wonder how Hyoudou-san fares with the others."

"If I know Newby," Saji began with a confident smile, "He'll probably have a trick up his sleeve."

* * *

><p><strong>Purgatory<strong>

The humans of the Hero Faction stared in disbelief at the Alpha-Leviathan, who had moments ago, taken the form of a curvaceous woman with gold horns that pointed upwards from her head. What was still puzzling to them, was why the leader chose a gender the moment Indra mentioned the God who wielded Solar Energy.

"Wait, wait, hold on," Georg said after a long silence, "There's something I still don't understand."

The Alpha-Leviathan tilted her head in response, giving the human a chance to continue.

"You said you had a craving for Solar Energy. How can that be? You said yourself that you and the rest of the Leviathans were sealed within this realm. Clearly, there is no source of light, nor Sun here."

As soon as Georg finished the last of his words, the leader blinked only once.

"_**We Leviathans predate that of Angels, Humans, and the very soul itself. There is a common characteristic we all possess. Hunger. The regular Leviathans have a craving for human flesh, and ourselves. I however, share a different taste**_**.**"

"So you don't eat humans?" Jeanne asked nervously.

"**I consume humans, but I do not find them satisfying.**"

At that remark, Jeanne shuddered. Wanting to get everything over with, Cao Cao decided to comment.

"So what made you like Solar Energy?"

"_**My Creator brought existence to me as a way to act as the leader for the rest of the Leviathans. Although I share all of their characteristics, I possess far more self-restraint. Therefore, I was given another acquired taste in order to replace my appetite for humans and other Leviathans**_."

"And that taste just happened to be Solar Energy?" Heracles commented dryly.

"_**I was granted the taste of several sources of energy. When I consumed Solar Energy for the first time, it was the only source in which I felt...full. I no longer felt the need to devour humans, or any of my own kind. At least, until I desired for more Solar Energy**_."

"And you want us to bring the Solar God to you?" Georg asked.

"_**Will that be a problem?**_" The Alpha-Leviathan asked, her distorted yet feminine voice taking on a threatening and challenging tone.

"Actually, yes." said Indra.

The leader narrowed her eyes ominously, and released a powerful force that caused several of the Leviathans to back away.

"_**Explain yourself, Heavenly Emperor.**_"

"You see, we can't just hand the one who possesses Solar Energy over to you. At least not right now."

"_**...You are irritating me. I am also growing impatient.**_"

"Well in order for you to receive Solar Energy from the boy, there is something you must assist me with."

"_**What is it?**_"

"I am hosting a tournament for the rest of the Gods. And the one who wields Solar Energy will also participate."

"_**What is the point of you telling me this?**_"

"I'm telling you this because I have a suggestion. The organization I represent have sets of abilities we can use to transport you out of this realm, and meet the Solar God yourself."

The Alpha-Leviathan's expression remained unchanged, and she folded her arms over her shapely chest.

"_**You will bring the boy to me.**_"

"Hey!" Heracles said in impatience, "Weren't you listening? Indra just said we can bring you out of this place to meet the freaking Solar God!"

The leader shot the descendant of Hercules a piercing look, which unsettled him and forced him to close his mouth.

"_**If you wish to keep your voice, then I suggest you be silent before I rip you open.**_"

Heracles found out his mistake and scowled. Narrowing her eyes, the Alpha-Leviathan turned her attention back to Indra.

"_**If I were to leave Purgatory, then the rest of the Leviathan race will have no one to guide them, therefore causing them to become irrational. Without my presence, they will resort to their primal instincts. So, as I have stated three times now, you will bring the boy to me.**_"

"I have another suggestion," Indra tried again, "After the tournament is over, and when the final battle is over, the one who possesses solar power, as well as his opponent, will be sent here. You can order the other Leviathans to attack the opponent, while also keeping the Solar Energy for yourself."

"_**You are testing my patience, Hindu Deity. If I help you, then you will bring the Solar God to me. Is that what our deal consists of?**_"

"Yes, it does."

"_**When is this tournament? I do not like waiting when I feel the desire to feed on Solar Energy.**_"

"It is in two weeks."

At the reply, the leader lowered her eyes in dissatisfaction.

"_**How annoying**_."

"So. Do we have a deal?"

"_**If you bring the Solar God to me, then the rest of the Leviathans shall devour his opponent.**_"

"Then we have a deal." Indra said with a smirk, "We will meet again in two weeks."

"_**We shall. Now leave this area, before I change my mind.**_"

Indra and the rest of the Hero Faction took the hint, and they disappeared in a pool of energy, leaving the Alpha-Leviathan to ponder her thoughts.

'_**I do not trust the Heavenly Emperor.**_'

The Alpha-Leviathan, even through the long withdrawal of Solar Energy, was able to keep her self-restraint to its highest. The reason was because her job to act as the leader of the Leviathans dominated her thoughts of her craving. But since the Heavenly Emperor had promised that she would receive a God that constantly generated Solar Energy, her lust and craving for the energy source was growing.

The leader then closed her eyes, and seemed to drift off to another state of consciousness. Seconds later, two pairs of forked tongues slithered out of her mouth, and slowly rolled all around her full lips.

"_**But...the chance to consume Solar Energy is very tempting.**_"

If Indra failed to keep his end of the deal, then she would simply destroy him.

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

_**[Two Weeks Later]**_

"Today is the tournament, Amaterasu. It's going to be interesting to see everyone again."

The Goddess of the Sun and the Universe smiled as she looked over to her old friend, the Greek Goddess of the Earth. The tournament hosted by Indra was close, prompting some of the Gods to barely contain their excitement. More prominently, was Amaterasu, since she thought it was going to be a good chance to see her son fight.

"Yes, I'm excited too, Gaia. I can't wait to watch Issei and see how he's improved. I've only seen him fight once, so maybe he'll surprise me."

"Hmm," Gaia hummed, "Perhaps he will. It all depends on who he is going to fight. There are many Gods and Goddesses that are of different mythologies. I just wonder if your son will be able to handle all of them."

"I'm sure my little Sun can handle his own. It all depends on how long he's been training."

"That is true. Hmm."

Amaterasu blinked as she heard Gaia's hum.

"What is it?"

"Oh, nothing. I am a bit surprised on how much your son has grown, Amaterasu. And the relationships he's formed."

The Sun Goddess chuckled faintly and crossed her arms.

"Relationships, yes. My little Sun never ceases to surprise me on how many people he has come in contact with. Never in a million years would I have expected the Infinite Dragon God to become my daughter-in-law. It still surprises me to this day."

"I have also noticed that he has many other beings who seem to have affection for him." Gaia said with a teasing smile.

At this remark, Amaterasu rose an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"There's the Shinigami, which is Death itself. Then there's the legendary and feared Trihexa. I am fairly certain that some of the members within the supernatural and the Three Factions harbor affection for him as well."

'With myself included. Fufufufu.' Gaia added in her thoughts.

"The Three Factions?" Amaterasu questioned.

"Tell me, my dear friend, you have heard of Gabriel, 'The Most Beautiful Woman in Heaven'?"

"Yes, I have. She's a Seraph."

"Well, as you know, I am the embodiment of the Earth. And since you sent Issei to Earth, I was aware of where he was at all times. When he was six years old, I remember sensing Gabriel near him. She was peering over him, and she gave him a sign of affection by kissing him on the forehead."

Amaterasu didn't know why, but she was getting a strange feeling.

"The Seraph was aware of where my little Sun was. Who else was?"

"Well, most of the beings in the Three Factions, Amaterasu. Your son was very strong, even as an infant."

"...Who else is interested in Issei?"

"Hmm. I believe the Satan with the title of "Leviathan" adores Issei as well."

"Serafall Sitri? How many supernatural beings does Issei know? He said he didn't like the supernatural that much."

"Perhaps it is the _supernatural_...that seems to be obsessed with your son, Amaterasu." Gaia mused.

* * *

><p><strong>Svargam (Hindu Heaven)<strong>

The tournament was to be hosted in the Heaven within the Hindu mythology. Thousands of Gods and Goddesses were present, including mythologies of Greek, Indian, Hindu, Egyptian, and even Shinto. They all greeted each other with familial camaraderie, with all of them having lived with a long lifespan.

The various deities were gathered in a lobby, taking time to chat with each other. In front of the lobby, was a wide stadium. Within the lobby, featured a magic artifact that determined who would face who int he tournament.

A silver magic circle suddenly manifested next to the crowd of deities, revealing the silhouettes of Issei, Ophis, and Vali. The Solar God widened his eyes as he looked around his surroundings, marveled by the number of Gods and Goddesses near him. Vali looked around as well, feeling excited by the power surges from various Gods.

"This is going to be an interesting tournament."

"How is this tournament supposed to be?" Issei mused to himself.

Ophis tilted her head as she noticed the crowd of deities walking inside the stadium.

"Issei," The Ouroboros Dragon said as she looked over at her mate, "I, shall see you from the sidelines."

Issei smiled and he leaned forward to give the Infinite Dragon God a kiss, causing the latter to shudder from the physical pleasure. Ophis formed a warm and satisfied smile on her face as she followed the Gods and Goddesses to the bleachers.

"Do your best, my beloved Issei." She said to him.

"I will, don't worry." replied Issei with a soft smile.

[Attention, everyone!]

At the sound of the announcer, Issei and Vali looked up at the sky, trying to find the source of the voice.

[Everyone! In this tournament there are many participants from all factions. Included in this tournament are three Gods who are involved in the top ten of the world. Indra in seventh place, Thor, in ninth place, and Hades in tenth place]

"Hades, huh?" Vali commented dryly, "I thought he'd still be sulking in his realm."

"He _is_ a God, Vali." Issei noted, "Wouldn't make sense for him to not join. After all, he's in the Top Ten."

[This tournament is divided in ten phases. There will be a first phase, second phase, third phase, fourth phase, fifth phase, sixth phase, seventh phase, quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final match.]

"Ten phases?" Issei asked in disbelief.

"Good," Vali said with a smirk, "The more battles, the better."

[The battles will be determined when each participant reaches into the sphere of energy. The sphere will take the form of the participant's number. In order for the participant to become the champion of the tournament, he or she must win in each phase.]

"Oh, this is definitely going to be fun." Vali said with a smile.

"No kidding. I just wonder who we're going to fight first."

"Just consider yourself lucky if you don't have to fight me."

Issei and Vali turned to see a scowling young man who emitted silver lunar energy. Issei immediately adopted a serious face as he looked at his cousin.

"Yoru."

The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto deepened his scowl as he walked over to his cousin.

"Don't think this changes anything, _cousin_. I just don't have anything better to do in the Shinigami's realm."

"So you're on Issei's side now?" Vali asked.

"...Yes." Yoru uttered as he looked over to Issei, "This plan of yours better work."

Muttering to himself, Yoru stomped away from his cousin and the Vanishing Dragon. Issei stared after the Lunar God, and inwardly sighed.

"Shinigami-san must have returned him to life, so now he's a participant."

[We will now call the fighters of the first phase. Please come towards the sphere of energy when I call your names.]

"We should get going." Vali suggested.

"Might as well." The Solar God agreed as he followed Vali.

And so, the two rivals followed the rest of the participants of the tournament, unaware of what awaited them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**The Alpha-Leviathan's appearance is indeed based on that of Sayla from Fairy Tail. Much like a vampire craves blood, she's going to crave for Issei's Solar Energy.**

_**In short, she wants the Sunny D.**_

**Please read & Review.**


	34. First Two Matches Begin!

Bright crimson-ruby eyes opened slowly, before they widened when their sight turned out to be a pair of deranged and dark reddish eyes.

"Issei's...cousin?"

"Ahh!"

Leiko jumped up in fright and looked around, noticing that she appeared to be at a strange location. Her breathing slowed down when she looked to see the Trihexa staring at her with a tilted head.

"O-oh. Hi, Hex-chan." Leiko stuttered.

"Humph. It's about time you woke up. I was just about to send you back home."

At the sound of the familiar gruff voice, Leiko widened her eyes further as she found herself on top of the Apocalypse Dragon himself. The crimson scales were familiar as usual, so it wasn't hard for Leiko to recognize the True Dragon.

"Red, what is this place? And what am I doing here?"

"It's the Dimensional Gap, where Ophis and I originally lived. And the reason I brought you here was so you could watch the kid fight in the tournament of the Gods."

"What?! You mean Ise-itoko is there now?! Already?! I wanted to talk to him before he left!"

"Ku ku ku. Looks like it's too late. You forgot to ask him _when _the tournament was supposed to start, didn't you?"

"Damn it, I was too late. Now I'm worried."

The Great Red rose his head to face the elder Hyoudou, and narrowed his golden eyes in confusion.

"What are you so worried about?"

"Well, Ise-itoko isn't the only God in the Universe. There are others that could be far stronger than he is by a large margin. I just want him to be safe, that's all."

"...Are you _sure_ you don't have a cousin-complex?" Great Red asked suspiciously.

"Don't start! Can't a cousin worry about her younger cousin?"

'Yeah, but not as excessively as you do."

Leiko huffed and sighed, choosing not to respond to the Apocalypse Dragon's quip.

"What is Ise-itoko planning? He and that Vali guy both entered the tournament. So are they going to fight it out or something? Or is it something different entirely?"

The Trihexa tilted her head again, her wonder directed at the worried Leiko. The Beast then looked to Great Red.

"Issei...has a plan?" She asked him.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Great Red replied, "But the boy isn't the only one. The Heavenly Emperor has a plan as well, he has to. After all, no one just conjures up a tournament out of the blue. Either he did it just to see how strong Issei was, or he's planning something different. Or maybe it's both of those predictions."

"Heavenly Emperor?" Leiko asked, "Are you talking about Indra?"

"Yes, that's him. Like most of the supernatural, he's been messing with your cousin as well. Hell, he already sent two of his subordinates to 'test' his powers."

Leiko pursed her lips and looked off to the side. Her crimson-ruby eyes narrowed as her facial expression took on a cold yet emotional look.

"What is it about Ise-itoko that causes him to be attractive to the supernatural? He's been living on Earth for eighteen years, so he should have been able to remain undetected from that world."

"That isn't the case, cousin-in-law." Great Red countered.

"What do you mean?"

"It's because he's Amaterasu's kid. He's a God from the Shinto Religion. The fact that his mother is the Goddess of the Sun _and_the Universe, perhaps makes the supernatural even more 'obsessed' with him."

"...That's exactly what Death told me."

"Well then you heard it from me and the Shinigami. But the fact that the kid's doing something about it proves that he's taking a stand."

"But can he do it all by himself?" Leiko asked, her worry for Issei showing, "Will his plan, whatever it is, work?"

"We'll just have to wait and see. The tournament just started, so you didn't miss anything important."

"Ise-itoko, just please be careful."

"Oh, quit your worrying," Great Red chided the elder Hyoudou, "He'll be fine."

Leiko sighed, and before she could get comfortable, a manifestation of energy appeared next to her. Seconds later, the energy formed into a large bag of popcorn.

"...What the?"

"I'm the Dragon of Dreams, cousin-in-law. It's not hard for me to create something. Now eat your popcorn. It doesn't come cheap, you know."

Rolling her eyes, Leiko turned her sight back to the Trihexa, who was showing an absent and peculiar expression on her face.

"H-hey, Hex-chan?"

666 responded to hearing her nickname, and turned her attention to Leiko. The elder Hyoudou attempted to hide her hesitance when she spoke her next words.

"Red? I know I probably should have asked this a long time ago, but why is Trihexa called...you know what she's called?"

"I thought the kid would have told you by now. The Trihexa is just another name for the Number of the Beast, or 666."

"What?!" Leiko exclaimed, having been caught off guard.

The Trihexa blinked several times and tilted her head, while Leiko continued to stare in awe.

"666?! How is-"

She was cut off guard once again when 666 suddenly pulled down the halter-strap she was wearing, revealing part of her left breast. Leiko's eyes widened when she spotted the symbol of the Beast.

"Six-hundred and sixty-six," Leiko murmured faintly, "How on Earth does Ise-itoko come in contact with these supernatural creatures?"

"Like I said," Great Red said with a huff, "The creatures of the supernatural seem to take a liking to him. I could've sworn the Shinigami or even one of us told you about the Trihexa. After all, she went to that pool party that was hosted by the Three Factions with us."

"Somehow, I'm not even shocked anymore." Leiko said as she sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

"Darling never ceases to surprise me."

The Shinigami managed an amused smile as she floated around in her Domain. She had given permission to the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto and returned him to life. If he chose to follow Issei's plan that is.

"It's interesting how he was able to convince his sworn enemy to work together with him. Very interesting. Now all Darling has to do is make sure his plan works."

"Humph. Do you genuinely believe he will succeed, sister?" A harsh and mocking voice called out to Death.

The personification of despair and destruction widened her soulless eyes momentarily, before she smirked and turned around to see her sibling. However, the other manifestation had completely chosen a different appearance, which contrasted to the one she had six months ago.

"My dear sister," Death greeted the entity, "It's been so long. What brings you here in my Domain?"

The entity known only as Oblivion now adopted the appearance of an adult woman with shorter black hair, light-tan skin, and sharp orange eyes. It puzzled Death that its sibling had chosen a different appearance, but that didn't mean it couldn't tease its sibling even further.

The woman glowered harshly at her sibling, and scoffed.

"Well Oblivion," Death cooed in a teasing tone, "I'm waiting."

"I asked you a question first." Oblivion replied, her tone maintaining its harshness.

"Ah, you did, didn't you? Well, allow me to answer. Yes, I do."

"What makes you think he will accomplish his foolish plan? There are many Gods who are far stronger than him. And the Heavenly Emperor is obviously planning something."

"Oh, my. Are you implying that you're worried about Issei?"

It was extremely faint, but a pink blush brightened on Oblivion's skin, and she muttered an angry reply.

"Do not change the subject."

"I didn't. We're still talking about Issei, aren't we?"

"Sister, do not toy with me. I am in no mood."

"That's what you always say, and yet you keep replying back to me." Death said, teasing her sibling further.

Oblivion's sharp orange eyes twitched in irritation. The personification of Non-Existence often attempted to maintain its patience while dealing with its sibling. But, the entity knew lying to its counterpart was just about as pointless as trying to get the 'Above' entity to crack a smile.

Sighing in defeat and annoyance, Oblivion narrowed her eyes at her sibling and crossed her arms.

"All right, sister, you've caught me. Yes, I am...doubtful on what the son of Amaterasu intends to do. Either he is still naïve about the world of the supernatural, or he is just improvising to his advantage."

Death lost her smile as she pondered, her teasing of Oblivion interrupted for the moment.

"Darling's plan consists of himself, the host of the Vanishing Dragon, and the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. I can predict him working with Vali Lucifer, but I do not see any reason for Issei to work together with his opposite."

"Humph. This boy is strange. And that irks me deeply."

"Oh sister," Death said, her teasing smile quickly returning, "You're just dissatisfied because you have yet to meet him aren't you?"

"This has nothing to do with that!" Oblivion exclaimed, "Do you really think I care if I meet the boy or not?! I couldn't care less!"

"If that's true, then why did you come to talk about him?"

"...Just be silent."

"That is what I thought. Hmm. I am confused, sister. Out of all the times you could have come to visit little old me, you have done it right after Issei entered the tournament. Do you genuinely want to see how he fares?"

"...I don't need to explain myself to you, sister."

"Fine, fine. Although, I am confused about something else. Why did you change your appearance? Six months ago, your hair and eyes were a glowing silver-white color. But now...your skin has gained a light tan, your hair is black yet short, and your eyes are dark orange. So what made you alter your appearance?"

Oblivion pondered her answer before she dared to grant it to Death. As she and her siblings were genderless, they more or less didn't care about the appearance or form they took. It was merely a decoration to them.

Returning her attention to Death, Oblivion moved her shoulders upwards, in which the Shinigami perceived the gesture as a shrug.

"There is no reason, sister. Nothing at all."

"Hmm. I suppose it's nothing to fret over. So is that all you wanted to converse with me about? Or did you come here for another reason?"

Oblivion rose a cool eyebrow in response.

"What do you mean 'another reason'?"

"So you didn't come to ask me if I could introduce you to Issei?"

At that remark, Oblivion's eyes twitched again. It honestly hated when its sibling knew how to push its buttons.

"No, as a matter of fact, I did not."

"Oh. That's a shame. I wouldn't have minded at all. It'd be no trouble for me."

"...D-do not even think for a second that I am desperate enough to ask you to introduce a lower being to Non-Existence! That is beneath me!"

"Whatever you say, my dear sister." Death cooed, already spotting Oblivion's obvious denial.

* * *

><p><strong>The Void<strong>

"So Indra has taken extra measures to ensure that Issei Hyoudou and the God of Destruction are out-of-the-way. It irks me, planning something and able to be a step ahead of myself is unacceptable. That is very irksome."

Chaos normally didn't feel emotions other than chaotic glee and amusement, so expressing anger was a new feeling to its own personality. Noticing its sibling's annoyance, Order attempted to placate the mood.

"Please calm yourself, Chaos. It might have been a coincidence. He couldn't have known that you were planning to use the first beasts to your advantage first. Perhaps he had planned to use the Leviathans to his liking beforehand, given how badly he wanted to destroy Shiva."

"I am aware of that," Chaos muttered, "It just irritates me. In any case, I genuinely hope that the son of Amaterasu succeeds in his plan, whatever it may be. I want the plans of the Heavenly Emperor to fail in disaster."

"I share your frustration, my dear sibling."

* * *

><p><strong>Svargam (Tournament)<strong>

Crowds of participants gathered around, waiting for their names to be called. Among the crowd, were Issei and Vali, who had stood next to each other, since they didn't know any of the other Gods. Plus, the only God they knew was Yoru, and they knew he didn't want to talk to them either.

Leaning against the pillars with his hands in his pockets, Issei looked over to Vali.

"So they're calling roll now. This tournament is going off to a fast start."

"It's about time," Vali said with a hint of annoyance, "Indra's so eager to defeat Shiva, you'd think he'd speed the tournament up a little."

"Who do you think you're going to fight first?"

"That I don't know of. All of these Gods are from different mythologies, each with other sets of abilities. I'm just looking for a good fight. With any luck, I'll probably get to fight you or your cousin."

"If you do end up fighting Yoru, then be careful Vali."

"You just make sure to worry about yourself, Issei Hyoudou. Besides, we need to focus on this plan of yours. We know Indra has a vendetta against Shiva, so when the last contestant finally advances to the final round and beats him, that's when his plan comes into fruition."

"Well right now, let's just go through the process," Issei said with an air of finality, "It's going to be a long tournament, so let's at least try to enjoy ourselves."

"Humph, I don't need you to tell me that."

**[Vali Lucifer! You're next!]**

"That's my cue." Vali announced as he walked away to pick his registration number.

{Hey, partner. You have permission to use my power for when you fight.}

Issei smiled in gratitude, directed towards the Red Dragon Emperor.

'Thanks, Ddraig. But I'm not going to use any of the swords yet. The only time I'll use them is if I go against Indra in the final round.'

{What about transforming?}

'I haven't transformed in a while, so I don't know about that, either.'

**[Issei Hyoudou! Please come pick your registration number!]**

"All right," Issei said with an energetic smile, "Now we can start."

* * *

><p><strong>[THE FIRST PHASE]<strong>

**Indra versus Baldr**

**Issei Hyoudou versus Hercules**

**Vali Lucifer versus Loki**

**Odin versus Apollo**

**Sun Wukong versus Yoru**

* * *

><p>"So this is how everyone knows who's battling who."<p>

"And we're not that far behind, Issei."

"Right after Indra, I'm facing Hercules. And you're facing Loki. I really didn't expect that."

"And that cousin of yours is facing Sun Wukong."

At the mention of his cousin, Issei looked over to see Yoru with his arms crossed. As usual he was looking around with a scowl on his face, looking as though he'd rather be somewhere else right now.

**[The first match is about to begin!]**

**[The Heavenly Emperor versus the Norse God of Light!]**

"Hmm," Vali hummed, "So Indra is going to be the first one to fight. Should have expected that, seeing as he's the creator of this tournament."

"Well if Indra's going first, then we really don't need to see his fight. Let's go and get something to eat, since we have enough time."

"You didn't eat beforehand?"

"No, because if there's something I gladly share with other Gods, it's that we have a large appetite. I skipped breakfast just to eat here. And besides Vali, didn't you and Albion say that Dragons and their hosts need a whole supply of food to enhance their energy reserves anyway?"

_(...I did say that, didn't I?)_

* * *

><p><strong>With Ophis<strong>

Ophis narrowed her eyes as she listened to the announcer.

"I, do not care for such a battle. The outcome is obvious. However, I do not know where to sit and observe the battle. I, need to hurry before it is my mate's turn to fight."

The Ouroboros Dragon was at a loss on where to go. There were many locations in where she could sit, but she didn't know exactly where. There were many Gods and Goddesses near Ophis, but that didn't bother the Infinite Dragon God in the slightest.

"Hey, Ophis!"

At the call of her name, the Dragon God turned to see a familiar Devil trying to get her attention by waving his arms like a crazy person.

'The host of Vritra,' Ophis deduced, 'I, was not aware that he was coming to the tournament.'

"Come on Ophis!" Saji yelled, "Everyone's in here and the first fight has already started!"

Ophis tilted her head in response.

'Everyone? Who is he referring to when he says 'everyone'?'

She followed Saji into a room which appeared to of fancy origin. The Ouroboros Dragon looked around curiously, wondering if the room was a type of stateroom.

"It's a VIP stateroom." Saji informed her.

"VIP?"

"Very Important Person. The Three Great Powers were given this room by Indra so they could watch Newby fight."

"Who else is here to watch my mate?"

"You know, Serafall-sama, Gabriel-sama, Rias Gremory and her peerage, and Kaichou and the rest of the Student Council. Even the girls from the Phenex Clan are here to watch Newby too."

As she followed Saji further into the room, Ophis spotted the familiar crowd of beings that had come in contact with Issei. She looked over to the side to see Amaterasu engrossed in a conversation with Gaia.

"When are they going to start the fighting?" Serafall said excitedly, "I want to see Ise-chan already!"

"Now now, let's be patient, Sera," Gabriel said with a smile, "I'm sure they're still preparing."

Quickly losing interest in listening to the Angel and Devil's conversation, Ophis sauntered over to her mother-in-law.

Amaterasu stopped her conversation with Gaia, and immediately sensed a strong power behind her. She turned around to see the Ouroboros Dragon and smiled.

"Ophis." She greeted politely.

"Mother-in-law," Ophis greeted with a nod, "You are not going to enter the tournament?"

"Oh no," Amaterasu shook her head with a smile, "I am not much of a fighter. I just came here to watch my little Sun fight."

"That's why everyone is in this room, Ophis," Gaia grinned, "To see Issei."

"...I see."

* * *

><p><strong>[INDRA IS THE WINNER!]<strong>

* * *

><p>"Oh," Amaterasu said in surprise, "I certainly didn't expect that fight to end so quickly. I wonder who is next?"<p>

"I agree," Gaia replied, "It's a shame that they won't let us see the scoreboard."

**[The second match is about to begin!]**

**[Issei Hyoudou versus Hercules!]**

It was almost instantaneous, but Amaterasu, Gaia, Serafall, and Gabriel immediately jumped up in excitement. A portal suddenly appeared, which showcased the arena of the tournament.

"Come on Newby!" Saji cheered, "Kick that God's ass!"

Ophis smiled as she spotted the Solar God himself walking onto the arena.

'Good luck, my precious mate.'

* * *

><p><strong>Purgatory<strong>

It would have been an understatement to say that the Alpha-Leviathan was growing impatient. The leader of the Leviathans narrowed her eyes as she almost uttered a growl.

"_**The Heavenly Emperor is testing my patience.**_"

While maintaining control over the other Leviathans, the Alpha's desire for Solar Energy was growing stronger by the minute.

"_**How long is this foolish tournament? If he does not hurry, he is going to regret ever passing into this realm.**_"

* * *

><p><strong>Svargam (Arena of the Tournament)<strong>

**[Issei vs Hercules]**

Issei stood out onto the battle field, watching the crowd of Gods and Goddesses cheer around him. Standing in front of him, was a tall man who was adorned in tough durable armor. He had an extremely muscular body, and on his hands were a pair of metal gauntlets that resembled a snarling lion's head.

{Hercules, the Great Divine Hero. He's famous for his vast strength, partner.}

'Hercules. Wait, I remember. Leiko used to read mythologies to me when I was little. But I don't think she ever said anything about those weapons on his hands.'

"Issei Hyoudou," Hercules called the name of his opponent, "I've heard much about you, and from what I am sensing, you seem to harbor considerable power. But...that power will not work against me."

Normally Issei would have been a little insulted, but he understood what Hercules was doing. After all, he was a God. They were normally prideful, eager to go into battle. Looking up at Hercules, Issei sent him a determined smile.

"We'll just have to see about that, Greek God Hercules. May the best God win."

{Partner. Are you ready?}

A crimson glow manifested around Issei's body, and he straightened into a battle stance.

"You know it, Ddraig. Let's go!"

[**READY? FIGHT!]**

**Read & Review :)**


	35. Vision of the Past & Issei vs Hercules

He had no idea where he was. Moments ago, he was at the tournament about to fight against the Greek God Hercules.

But suddenly, the image around him began to blur. He initially assumed the 'Above' entity was trying to bring him to the Omniverse. But then he realized that the location was in no way similar to the Omniversal Entity's residence.

For one thing it was entirely pitch-black, so Issei wasn't able to see anything at all. As he looked around to try to find a light source, Issei settled for transforming into the first evolution of his Solar form. He inwardly sighed in relief when he spotted a clear path in front of him. But something else caught his eye.

It was a man of Japanese descent who was dressed in a blue robe and blue sandals. His black hair was tied in a tight bun, his face set into a dwindling yet hopeful look.

"My dear Izanami," The man uttered solemnly, "I cannot afford to leave you here in this cursed place. Yomi."

"Cursed place?" Issei questioned.

If the man heard Issei's question, he gave no indication that he had done so. He continued to tread ahead aimlessly following his journey. Having nowhere else to go, Issei continued to follow the man, wondering where he was going.

"This place is nothing like Shinigami-san's Domain," Issei commented, "You can barely see anything in here."

He then looked at the man, and became marveled as he sensed his energy.

'This guy's energy is tremendous. He's much stronger than Mom. I wonder who he is. He said something about Izanami. Is Izanami his wife or something?'

"Hey!" He called out to the man, "Are you lost or something? Do you need help?"

The man never turned around to respond. Issei frowned, realizing that the man couldn't hear him.

"Well, there goes my attempt to talk to him. Still, I wonder where he's going. This place is pitch-black, so I'm shocked that he even found a path to follow. I'm just using my solar energy to find a trail."

Maintaining the aura of his Super Solar transformation, Issei placed his hand under his chin, choosing to contemplate.

"Izanami. If I remember correctly, it means "she who invites". Whoever she is, she must be important to this guy, since he came...wherever he came from to this way. The other thing I'm confused about, is why I'm here."

As he continued to follow the man, Issei flared out his aura in an attempt to brighten the area around him. The path in front of him appeared to be an endless abyss, leaving the man to seemingly wander for eternity.

"I-Izanagi..."

Issei and the man looked up, both reacting to the raspy yet feminine voice. Issei eyed the man, in which he put two and two together and found that his name was Izanagi. At the sound of the woman's voice, Izanagi quickened his pace, while Issei remained still, watching the man.

"Izanami?! Oh my dear Izanami, where are you?!"

Issei wanted to know as well, but he stayed still. He had an ominous feeling that something would happen if he were to edge closer to the man.

"You should not be here," The woman's throaty voice replied, "It is not safe."

"What nonsense do you spout?" Izanagi said, "Come back with me to the world of the living! You do not deserve to suffer in the realm of Yomi!"

"Realm of Yomi?" Issei repeated in confusion, "And what did he just say? He wants her to come back to the world of the living? So that means..."

"I can never return, my darling." The voice of Izanami said regretfully, "I...have begged the Gods many times for permission to return, but...it is too late."

"Whatever do you mean?!" Izanagi shouted.

"I have been hungry since I've dwelled in this realm. And because of this, I have consumed the food of Yomi itself."

"No! This cannot be!"

Issei had no idea why, but he felt a pang in his heart as he watched Izanagi shout out in rage and sadness.

{Partner!}

Suddenly, the area around him begin to dissolve. Issei watched on as the scenery changed before him, with Izanagi and the voice of Izanami disappearing entirely. Before Issei could figure out what was happening, he spotted an incoming fist covered by a metal gauntlet.

* * *

><p>{Partner, concentrate!}<p>

Narrowing his eyes, Issei dodged the fist that was sent his way and landed on the other side of the arena. The crowd of Gods and Goddesses brought him back to reality, and he realized right then and there that he was back at the tournament.

'What was that just now?'

{Partner, are you doing all right?}

((Yeah, you were spacing out. You're not tired are you?))

{Don't doubt my host, clone of Albion.}

'I'm all right, Ddraig. I think I just had a dream or something. But I'm good now.'

In reality, he was feeling a little light-headed. He didn't know what type of vision he had, but he had a feeling. A strange and unpleasant feeling. But now wasn't the time. He had to fight Hercules, and keep his plan in motion.

Focused on the battle, Issei looked over at the Olympian God, noticing the power emitting from the metal gauntlets on Hercules' hands. According to Ddraig, Hercules was already a God who possessed immense strength, even by a Greek God's standards.

Snarling, Hercules rushed over to Issei and lifted his fist. Issei narrowly dodged the God's attack as he sent his fist into the ground, causing a shockwave aura to emit through the arena. The ground shook in tremors.

Issei recovered from his dodging and got back on his feet. He looked up just in time to see Hercules charging towards him once again with his fists together, amplifying the strength of the gauntlets. Issei stood his ground as he withstood Hercules' attempts to drive him with brute force.

Very slowly, Issei gathered his strength and began to push Hercules back. He then grabbed the God's right arm, pulled it forward, and elbowed him in the face. Hercules growled as he stumbled back, rendering him defenseless as Issei charged at him and pushed him back. Maneuvering his weight, Issei gathered his energy and sent it towards Hercules in the form of a force push.

Hercules cursed to himself and regained his balance. The gauntlets on his fists burned with a glowing intensity, and he clashed them together. Immediately after, a powerful shockwave collided with Issei, who flared out his solar aura in order to maintain his balance. The shockwave released a bright light that blinded the arena.

Hercules smirked as he looked out to the crowd of Gods and Goddesses, who were cheering at the display of war and battle.

"Do you see!" Hercules shouted, "He is nothing but a mere light bulb! A Solar God?! What trash!"

* * *

><p><strong>VIP Stateroom<strong>

If it weren't for the fact that she had mellowed for many years, Amaterasu would have fumed with maternal rage. She wasn't the only one who was worried about Issei. As expected, Ophis was concerned for her mate. But she didn't show it. Gabriel and Serafall were emitting dangerous surges of energy; angelic and demonic, respectively.

"Come on Newby!" Saji cheered for his best friend, "Don't tell me that shockwave took you out just like that!"

Xuelan, who served as the reason the Phenex Clan had come to watch Issei fight in the tournament in the first place, appeared to share Saji's sentiments.

"Don't give up, Issei-sama! We all know you can do it!"

Amaterasu and Saji turned to look at the Chinese Devil, the former in confusion and the latter in indignant rage. The Goddess of the Sun had no idea who the girl and the rest of the peerage were. Whoever they were, they seemed to be close to her son.

Well, at least the girl of Chinese descent was.

Saji fumed, a bit put off by the fact that his best friend's name had an honorific added to it. He knew Issei never considered himself to be the master of Riser Phenex's former peerage, but still.

"The fight is already getting intense," Gabriel commented, "And it's only been the first fight."

"Get up, Ise-chan!" Serafall shouted out to the magical television, despite knowing that Issei couldn't hear her.

Ophis ignored the other supernatural creatures, already aware that her mate's energy was still intact. It would take a lot more to keep Issei down. If the Ouroboros Dragon knew the Solar God, he was probably hiding within the light, thinking of another strategy.

'I, am confident that my mate will succeed.'

* * *

><p><strong>Arena<strong>

**[Issei versus Hercules]**

The crowds of deities cheered louder, under the impression that Hercules had beaten the Solar God. Hercules basked in his glory, the gauntlets on his fists growing with more power.

"Did you all see?!" Hercules barked with arrogance and pride, "How he trembled?! He was no match for a God such as myse-GAH!"

Hercules collapsed when he felt someone strike him in the side. Trembling with fury, Hercules slowly turned to see Issei with his fist planted into him. The Solar God fixed the Greek God a hardened stare.

Issei moved his free hand, and seconds later, a small blade that resembled a trench knife with a hand guard, glowed with silver energy. Gripping onto the blade, Issei positioned himself and stabbed the weapon through Hercules' arm, causing the Greek God to emit a roar of pain.

"GAHH!"

The gauntlet began to slide off of Hercules' arm. Noticing this, Issei moved his blade, causing Hercules to move along with it, and slammed it onto the ground, knocking the God on his back. Issei quickly sealed the blade of the Vanishing Dragon into himself, and placed his hand into the gauntlet.

Feeling the power surge from the weapon, Issei lifted his fist up just in time to see Hercules attempt to land an attack on him. As Hercules leaned forward to strike him, Issei lowered his body, and used the power of the gauntlet to punch Hercules in his stomach, causing the Greek God to soar away from him.

Issei noticed that the other gauntlet was no longer in Hercules' possession and went to grab it, now in possession of both of the weapons. Flaring out his aura, Issei charged at the weaponless God and sent a barrage of punches, the gauntlet amplifying his punches to great degrees.

As Issei went to deliver another punch, Hercules recovered and grabbed the Solar God by the throat. He wasted no time in showing his displeasure for Issei as he punched him in his face. Issei retaliated by punching him back, causing Hercules to lose his grip on him.

Issei wasted no time in stopping himself, and summoned a portion of his Solar Energy within the gauntlets. Issei sent his fist upwards, landing a powerful uppercut to Hercules' face, causing the Greek God to soar across the arena, and crash through the structures.

The crowd of deities gasped, marveled at what had just happened. The Gods and Goddesses who were near the crash, looked cautiously, wondering if Hercules was going to recover and resume his fight.

Issei was interested as well, remaining in his spot.

**[Hercules has been defeated! Issei Hyoudou is the winner!]**

Immediately after the announcement was declared, the crowd immediately lost interest in Hercules and went to cheer for Issei, who was stunned. He lowered his hands, causing the gauntlets that belonged to Hercules to drop onto the ground. As he listened to the crowd, Issei took his leave, waiting for the second phase. And since there were only three fights left, it was going to take a long while.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"H-he did it! My Ise-itoko did it!"

Leiko couldn't believe it. She was adamant about being worried for Issei joining the tournament. However, a rush of excitement took over her, cheering for her cousin as he battled Hercules.

Great Red, who was surprisingly quiet during the whole fight, smirked as he shook his head.

'Definitely has a cousin-complex. She isn't fooling anyone.'

* * *

><p><strong>VIP Stateroom<strong>

"My little Sun! He did it!"

"Take that! I knew Ise-chan could do it!"

"My goodness. Issei shouldn't worry us like that."

"All right, Newby!"

The supernatural beings in the Stateroom were elated, to say the least. Even Ophis was smiling, extremely proud of her mate.

"So I guess it wasn't all exaggeration."

The comment came from Sona, who had been analyzing and observing the fight between Issei and Hercules.

"He _has_ gotten stronger." Tsubaki commented, her eyes widening a little bit.

"To the point that he's on a whole different level than us. It's times like these that I wished he could've joined my peerage." Rias said.

"It has always been that way."

Rias widened her eyes and turned to look at Ophis, who had her sights on the television that showcased the fights.

"What's always been that way?"

"My Issei has always maintained a different level of power that surpasses that of you Devils. That is one of the reasons you could not turn him into a Devil."

"Reasons?" Akeno asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"...Rias Gremory," Ophis addressed the crimson-haired Devil, "I, have a question."

"What is it?"

"When my mate first arrived at his school, you wished to convert him into a Devil, correct?"

"Yes?"

"That was foolish of you to think like that."

The Gremory Princess widened her eyes further as she realized that Ophis had just insulted her. Feeling a bit of her pride resurfacing, Rias sent the Ouroboros Dragon a frown.

"What do you mean that was foolish of me? I just wanted-"

"Tell me, Rias Gremory," Ophis began as she finally locked eyes with the Devil, "Would it make sense for a being that is exponentially more powerful than you, to live his or her life in servitude under your rule?"

Rias bit back her retort, knowing that if she replied at that moment, she was probably going to say something stupid, which would no doubt provoke the Infinite Dragon God. Ophis narrowed her eyes at Rias' lack of response, and turned to look at her mother-in-law, who was looking at Rias with a suspicious glare.

The crimson-haired Devil gulped down a nervous lump in her throat. She got the hint that maybe it was better that she kept her mouth shut for the time being. Declaring her former wish to turn a certain Sun Goddesses' son into a Devil...probably wasn't a smart thing to do. Plus, Amaterasu's Solar Energy was brighter than that of Issei's, which meant that she and the rest of the Devils (possibly excluding Serafall), wouldn't be able to endure it.

Taking her eyes off Rias momentarily, Amaterasu moved her attention to Ophis.

"Do you know who is fighting next, Ophis?"

The Ouroboros Dragon looked over to her mother-in-law and nodded.

"The Vanishing Dragon is fighting the Evil Norse God Loki."

Amaterasu widened her eyes a little in response.

"Loki?"

"Yes. I, remember my mate's battle with Loki as well. Perhaps he enrolled in this tournament for the purpose of fighting Issei in a rematch."

"Well, he can only do that if he beats the Vanishing Dragon, which I highly doubt he will." Gaia said with an amused smile.

* * *

><p><strong>[Attention everyone! The third match of the first phase is about to begin!]<strong>

**[Vali Lucifer versus Loki!]**

* * *

><p><strong>Lobby Area<strong>

"That was an impressive fight, Issei Hyoudou."

"Thanks Vali."

"...Are you feeling all right? You look...distant."

Issei had to give Vali credit for noticing how a little shaken he was. That vision he had earlier before he had even made his first move against Hercules bothered him. It was so abrupt, and yet Issei had the feeling that there was more to it.

But, he couldn't let that bother him. He had to focus on his plan, and enjoy the tournament for the time being. Sending Vali a confident smile, Issei waved his rival's worry off with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, I'm good. Don't worry."

Vali sent him a suspicious glare, but seconds later, his glare dissolved into a frown, letting it go for now.

"You better hurry, Vali," Issei said as he crossed his arms, "Loki's waiting for you."

"Humph. He shouldn't be any trouble. If you beat him, then I should be able to beat him."

Done with his conversation with Issei, the host of the Vanishing Dragon walked off to the arena, ready to face Loki. As he watched his rival depart, Issei frowned, trying to decipher the vision he had.

* * *

><p><strong>Arena of the Tournament<strong>

**[Vali vs Loki]**

"So, we meet at last, Hakuryuukou!"

Vali smirked as he looked at the smiling Loki.

"How do you do, God of Evil Loki-dono. I am the Hakuryuukou Vali. I came here to eliminate you from this tournament."

"Oh? Pardon me, but I believe my ears might have deceived me. Did you just say you were going to eliminate me?"

"Yes I did."

Vali ejected his Devil wings and immediately made his move as he charged towards Loki, creating a course of light in a zig-zag motion, and closed his distance with Loki at high-speed.

"Making the first move, Vali?!" Loki taunted, "I expected better from the Vanishing Dragon!"

Loki cackled as he activated a wide-range of defensive magic-circles. A series of energy blasts was released from the magic-circles, their target on Vali. Vali soared around in an acrobatic-style in the sky, and dodged all of the attacks.

Narrowing his eyes, Vali released a portion of his demonic-power attack towards Loki.

"Try this on!"

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

Vali shot the attack, which covered over one-fourth of the arena. The attack landed directly on Loki, causing a bottomless chasm to emit onto the tournament grounds. As the smoke cleared, Vali maintained his glare as he watched Loki emerge from the cloud, his robe torn apart.

"Halving a God will just be a waste of my time. So I will have myself reduce your power!"

_(VANISHING DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER!)_

The familiar silver armor covered Vali entirely, the shine from the armor brightening around the arena. Narrowing his eyes within the armor, Vali lifted his hand and summoned spheres of demonic-power, shooting them towards Loki. The Evil God snarled as he felt each of the spheres remove a portion of his power.

Loki released waves of magical-power in the form of a glowing in a rainbow beam. Vali lengthened his wings bigger, and set himself into a battle position.

_(DivideDivideDivideDivideDivideDivideDivideDivide!)_

'I can use my ability to halve without touching it if it's an attack like this. And thanks to the training, the consumption isn't that high.'

Several of the attacks Loki released pierced through Vali's armor. However, much to the Norse God's surprise, the armor continued to regenerate.

"What is going on?!"

"Idiot." Vali muttered.

Loki widened his eyes and looked behind him to see Vali, who was gathering an enormous pool of demonic energy in the form of a large sphere. His eyes constricting into pupils, Loki went to attack, but he was too late to react, as Vali released his energy blast. The blast engulfed the Norse God into a dark crimson light, the aura shining out through the arena.

Moments later, the light faded, and Loki laid upon the ground, completely unconscious. Clad in his Balance Breaker armor, Vali smirked and hovered down to stand. He deactivated his armor, and walked away, not even noticing that the crowd of deities were surprised at his victory.

**[Loki** **has been defeated****! Vali Lucifer is the winner!]**

* * *

><p><strong>Purgatory<strong>

"_**My patience is growing thin**_."

The Alpha-Leviathan narrowed her eyes as she looked around her home. She didn't understand why Indra was taking so long. It was a tournament. Granted, the Alpha-Leviathan had never enrolled or witness a tournament, but her lust for Solar Energy was increasing ever so slightly.

As the Alpha pursed her lips, her eyes widened in curiosity as she watched one of the Leviathans slither away from her. She looked over to see thousands of other Leviathans heading off towards a different direction, prompting the Alpha to feel even more confusion.

"_**Where are you going**_?"

The Leviathans gave no indication that they had heard their leader, and they continued to slither across the ground.

"_**What is the meaning of this**_?"

_GRAHHHH!_

The Alpha-Leviathan reacted to the bellowed roar and looked up at the sight. It appeared to be a monstrous creature that had a humanoid shape. It was two-hundred meters tall and seemed to exude an extremely powerful aura. The Alpha noticed that the other Leviathans were crawling on the monster.

"_**Stop**_!" She ordered them, "_**I did not tell you to meld with this creature**_!"

"Save your breath. They're not going to listen to you anymore."

The Alpha-Leviathan's eyes twitched, and she looked up to see two familiar humans, and a much younger boy accompanying them. If she remembered correctly, the human's names were Heracles and Georg.

Placing her hand on her hip, the Alpha scowled at Heracles.

"_**Why are the rest of the Leviathans following that creature**_?"

Heracles sent the Alpha a smirk that made the latter bristle with annoyance.

"Well...there's been a change of plans. Indra has decided that he needs the Leviathans for something important."

"_**That was not part of our agreement. I did not give him permission to**_-"

"Look," Georg said with a scowl, "Indra has thought of a different and alternate plan that should work out for him. As soon as we're done, the Leviathans will be given back to you."

"_**That is not the point, you foolish humans**_."

If Heracles and Georg hadn't blinked, they would've spotted the horns on the Alpha's black hair curving upwards in irritation.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," Heracles dismissed the Alpha's attempt at a debate, "We can take the Leviathans because we have a means for transportation. While you, on the other hand, are unable to leave the world of Purgatory."

"_**You cannot do this! If you continue with the Heavenly Emperor's plan, I will make sure you regret it!**_"

Rolling his eyes, Heracles turned to look at the young boy who had remained quiet during the entire conversation.

"Hey, Leonardo. Think you could create another monster?"

The boy, known as Leonardo, remained still. Suddenly, shadows appeared from under the his feet, and took the form of another two-hundred meter tall humanoid shaped monster. The Alpha-Leviathan's eyes widened in rage as the creature flared out its aura.

"Well, have fun with the Jabberwocky." Georg said with a smirk.

A magic circle suddenly manifested from under Georg, Heracles, and Leonardo, and the two disappeared from sight. The Alpha-Leviathan narrowed her eyes as she looked up at the Jabberwocky.

"_**Such despicable humans**_."

She was in no way frightened of this 'Jabberwocky'. To prove her point, she lifted her hand and gathered a black pool of dark energy. With a scowl, the Alpha shot the blast at the creature, who roared out in pain as it disintegrated from impact.

"_**The Heavenly Emperor has tested my patience for far too long. And then he makes the foolish decision of taking control of the other Leviathans.**_"

Dark energy began to manifest around the Alpha-Leviathan as her appearance altered. Her skin suddenly became much paler, and her horns grew in size and sharpness. Her black hair became much wilder, and unicursal hexagram that initially appeared on her forehead, now manifested onto her stomach.

"_**He is going to pay dearly.**_" The Alpha declared, her distorted and feminine voice taking on a more husky growl.

* * *

><p><strong>Lobby<strong>

{Albion's host did well.}

"Yeah," Issei said with a smile, "I didn't doubt Vali for a second."

"Humph. Don't praise him, _cousin_."

Issei looked over to see Yoru with his arms crossed, his never-ending scowl present on his face.

"It's obvious that the idiotic Norse God never trained for this damn tournament. Lucifer was just toying around with him. If it were me, I would've destroyed him in the first minute."

Issei didn't reply to his cousin's boast, choosing to look back at the scoreboard.

Suddenly, the area around him began to dissolve once again.

* * *

><p>Issei widened his eyes when he found that he was in the pitch-black darkness once more. Standing in front of him, was Izanagi.<p>

"Hey! It's you! Hey, can you hear me now?"

Izanagi gave no reply, appearing to be in deep thought. Issei frowned in disappointment, which quickly turned to curiosity as he watched Izanagi walk forward. The young man noticed that in the man's hand was a comb that illuminated throughout the darkness of Yomi.

Izanagi moved the glowing comb around, using it as an device for light. As he walked forward, his facial expression suddenly changed into one that was terror. He continued to repeatedly gasp, as though as he were hyperventilating.

Wondering what Izanagi was going on about, Issei cautiously walked closer to Izanagi so he could see what he was seeing, and he instantly regretted it. Issei collapsed backwards as he covered his mouth, trying to suppress his shout of surprise. In spite of the fact that Izanagi could not see or hear him, he appeared to be just as distraught as Issei was.

The light from the comb shone upon a rotting form of flesh. The body appeared to be feminine at the very least, with maggots and foul creatures sliding over the body. Both Izanagi and Issei took steps back, unable to contain their reactions.

Unable to keep his fears, Izanagi cried out loud, causing the corpse to suddenly animate and wake up and scream at him.

Izanagi cried out again and ran the opposite direction, determined to stay away from the corpse as far as possible.

"Get back here, Izanagi! You have shamed me!" The corpse roared, the voice distinctly feminine.

Issei widened his eyes and could only watch as the corpse of Izanami chased after Izanagi. The Solar God had no idea what was going on, and he was absolutely terrified. He had no idea where to go next, so he chose to follow the two.

Izanagi eagerly followed the trail of light, and burst through the exit of Yomi. With Issei closely behind him, the Solar God stopped in front of the man.

"You will regret your actions, Izanagi-no-Mikoto!" The corpse of Izanami shouted.

Issei widened his eyes as he recognized the name.

'Mikoto?! No...he can't be! Is he related to Susanoo?! And if so...does that means he's related to Mom too?!'

Desperately searching for something, Izanagi spotted a large boulder enough to seal the presence of the Underworld, and pushed it into the cavern that was the entrance of Yomi. Both Issei and Izanagi jumped when they heard fists pounding on the other side of the boulder.

"You cannot do this to me, Izanagi!"

"You cannot be my wife!" Izanagi shouted back, "You cannot be Izanami! You just cannot!"

"YOU FOOL!" Izanami shouted through the boulder, "You will regret this! I swear it! I shall make you suffer for this, including your descendants! They shall forever be afflicted from my WRATH!"

The voice of Izanami was loud and ferocious, bringing chills to even Issei, who was glad that neither Izanagi nor Izanami could sense him.

"Heed my words, Izanagi," The voice of Izanami threatened slowly, "If you leave me, then I shall destroy one thousand residents of the living forever!"

Izanagi, his fear leaving him for a fleeting moment, pressed his face to the boulder.

"Then I will give fifteen-hundred lives in return!"

* * *

><p>The scene around Issei dissolved and reanimated into a different scenery. This time Izanagi was near a river, where he cleansed himself. Still terrified from the screams of Izanami, Issei tried to catch his breathing and braced himself for what happened next. But what happened next would shock Issei even more.<p>

As soon as the water came in contact with Izanagi, three pools of energy manifested around him. Issei's eyes remained wide as the energies took human-like forms. The energy that manifested from Izanagi's left eye formed into a familiar Sun Goddess. The energy from the right eye manifested into the God of the Moon. And the very last source of energy, born from Izanagi's nose, was that of the Storm God that Issei instantly recognized.

"Mom! Tsukuyomi! Susanoo!"

Indeed. Standing near Izanagi, were the forms of Amaterasu-ōmikami, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, and Susanoo-no-Mikoto.

Issei took a step back, and finally collapsed onto the grass fields. His brown eyes were wide with horror and shock. He wanted to get away from this place. It didn't matter if they couldn't see him, he just wanted to get out of here.

The scene before Issei suddenly blurred out of existence, and Issei found himself in a familiar and comforting place.

* * *

><p><strong>Tournament Lobby<strong>

Issei gasped as he found himself back in reality. He was back at the lobby, with the cheers of Gods and Goddesses ringing through his ears. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

Issei clutched his head as he felt pain course through his veins.

He wanted to forget about everything he had just saw. Yomi, Izanami's corpse and her poisonous declaration, Izanagi running away and sealing his own wife, and the birth of his mother and uncles. But now Issei had just come back to realize...

His vision. It was that of the past. It was before his mother was born, and if that was true, then that meant...

_YOU FOOL! You will regret this! I swear it! I shall make you suffer for this, including your descendants! They shall forever be afflicted from my WRATH!_

The words of Izanami tore through his skull, causing him tremendous pain.

Izanagi was his grandfather, and Izanami was his...'grandmother'.

Issei felt even worse as the threatening words of his grandmother continued to repeat themselves in his head.

_I shall make you suffer for this, including your descendants! They shall forever be afflicted from my WRATH!_

The words echoed through Issei's head, causing his body to shake.

Could it be that Izanami was the reason why the supernatural was against him, and not because of what Amaterasu represented? Was Izanami the cause of the supernatural's obsession with him?

Issei really hoped that wasn't true.

**Read & Review Please:)**


	36. Revelations of a Goddess

**A short chapter today, folks. Next chapter will be back to the tournament. **

**This chapter derives from Shinto mythology and its influence on the story.**

* * *

><p>Anger. Betrayal. Sadness. Loneliness.<p>

A woman dressed in a white-gray robe covered with blood, stood within a horrendous area. Her black hair, once wavy and refined, now lay flat against her face. Her skin was a ghoulish pale white, with her eyes sunken to the point of complete blackness and emptiness.

For many years, she had been trapped within the realm of darkness known as Yomi, forced to dwell within it for all eternity. No longer could she exist within the world of the living, a fact that would continue to mock her as long as she existed in Yomi.

She had become the ruler of the realm after she had become accustomed to the darkness. Although it wasn't something she was proud of. There was nothing to do within the realm of Yomi, with the exception of wandering around the area forever.

Her sanity, deteriorated to the point of insanity was perhaps the only 'alive' aspect of her personality that she had left. Whenever she indulged in it, her sanity would suddenly suppress itself, with the overwhelming anger and sadness that embodied her heart overpowering her sanity.

She watched everything through the realm of Yomi. The growing population of mortals that resided the world of the living, the various Gods and Goddesses of different mythologies, and lastly, the family that she never even got to be a part of.

"And it was all because of him..." The woman hissed.

Her memories of the man bordered on a combination of hatred, sadness, and betrayal. She would forever hate the man for what he had done, and the consequences that _she_ herself had to bare. They could have lived in happiness if the man had just waited and listened to her.

But it was already too late.

Her former husband had to have passed on by now. She was aware he spawned _his_ children; _Susanoo-no-Mikoto_ the God of Sea and Storms, _Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto _the God of the Moon, and _Amaterasu-ōmikami _the Goddess of the Sun and the Universe. She remembered the flare of rage when witnessing the entire scene. The man birthed the three Shinto deities in order to purify himself from her touch, and his contact with Yomi.

That angered the woman to no end. The fact that the man spawned children without her.

From that point on, she gave up on watching the man, and went on to watch his children. The God of the Seas and Storms and the God of the Moon seemed to have prolonging issues with the Goddess of the Sun and the Universe, an observation that brought a tiny bit of amusement and resentment to the woman.

But then...something happened that would set off the woman in more ways than the man ever did. Amaterasu spawning a child that was born of her own flesh, and the energies of the Sun itself. The woman didn't know why, but it angered her deeply. That yet another descendant of Izanagi had been brought to life.

She remembered feeling disgusted when she saw Amaterasu make the decision to send her child to Earth, due to Susanoo's actions. Although...the woman could not blame the Sun Goddess, seeing as she was the one who influenced and manipulated Susanoo in order to shame Izanagi.

In either case, she was sickened at Amaterasu's actions. Sending an infant God to Earth, the place where the mortals resided upon. The mortals in which the woman vowed to Izanagi that she would destroy one thousand of them every day if he left her. From then on, she continued to observe the child, watching him grow.

She immediately grew mixed feelings for him. She harbored hatred for him, due to him being a descendant of Izanagi. In her eyes, the child deserved to suffer for what his grandfather had done to her. The woman didn't care if the boy would ever find out about his heritage. That didn't matter to her.

On the other hand...she also suppressed grandmotherly affection for the child as well, which confused her. The boy wasn't even her grandson, and the fact that her feelings towards him were mixed and not complete, irked her. She assumed that because of her status as the representation of _Creation and Death_, her conflicting feelings towards Amaterasu's son manifested as hatred and love. She wanted him to suffer, and yet she also held grandmotherly emotions towards him.

Melding her consciousness with that of the literal supernatural world was the only way in which she could watch him anyway. By doing so, she manipulated the events that surrounded him.

Manipulating the Phenex Devil's unconscious feelings into capturing the female Hyoudou mortal and using her to get the boy to fight the Phenex was her first attempt.

That failed miserably.

Influencing Susanoo's hatred towards Amaterasu, and using it to kill her son would have been an actual success, if the entity Death hadn't brought the boy to its realm.

The woman's anger and hatred amplified to the point of insanity. She was the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death, and yet most of the supernatural forces were acting against her in order to keep the boy safe from her clutches.

She cursed her profound limitation that she was unable to leave the realm of Yomi, forced to forever reside within it against her own will. Merging with the supernatural only enabled her to manipulate the son of Amaterasu's life, but in the end, she was satisfied with that. She would influence the events as she saw fit, her 'love' and hatred for the boy growing stronger.

She would never let go of her obsession. Her hatred and twisted obsession towards her beloved grandson that was in no way related to her, but to Izanagi himself.

"Accept the fate of this reality, Izanagi." Izanami spat out in bitter rage, "The sins of the grandfather shall be visited upon the grandson. Amaterasu's son will suffer for your actions."

The creatures of Yomi howled out in insanity, their echoes surrounding the Shinto incarnation of the Underworld.

"I swear it! Amaterasu's child _will_ be mine!" The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death hissed.


	37. All Things Are According to Plan

**The fight for Odin versus Apollo is going to be referenced and mentioned. For the next fights, I will try to include them within the next chapters.**

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

"_I feel...worried for my little darling_."

There were times when the 'Above' Entity disliked it when Issei was unintentionally able to make it feel surges of emotion. Whether it was amusement, curiosity, concern, or hell even affection, the Omniversal Entity would never outwardly express it.

The entity felt satisfaction as she watched the conclusion of the battle between Issei and Hercules. But her satisfaction quickly converted to concern for Issei as she remembered his apparent hesitation at the beginning of the fight.

"_Little Darling appeared to be troubled in the beginning_," The 'Above' began, "_That brings an aching worry within my consciousness. And that irritates me_."

When she came in contact with Issei for the first time, she made it clear that she was neither his ally nor his enemy. She only intended to see how Issei's actions affected the Universe he dwelled within.

Unconsciously, the 'Above' Entity's form began to alter. Her black hair remained the same, as well as her height. However, her dark-emerald eyes reverted to a soulless black color, and her peach skin brightened to an extreme pale white.

The 'Above' blinked several times as she finally became aware of what had just transpired. She lowered her head and blinked again.

She was back in the original form she took when she first met Issei. She lifted her hands to her face and narrowed her eyes.

"_My powers are not aligned with my emotions. Perhaps I am feeling a bit of nostalgia in this form_."

The 'Above' Entity's body glowed with a bright aura, allowing herself to manifest into her second and current predominated incarnation.

"_The supernatural world is vast in all of its attributes, Issei. You must absolutely be careful. Even though I will not help you..._"

The 'Above' Entity puckered out her lips, and put her hand to her mouth. She secretly grew accustomed to the gesture she was currently doing. Closing her dark green eyes, the Omniversal Entity uttered a kissing sound, and flipped her hand out, breathing out a bright manifestation energy in the form of full lips.

The shaped energy then faded away, unable to come in contact with the one who the 'Above' Entity had sent it to.

"_I will worry for you_." The entity finished, her voice taking on an emotional tone.

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

"Hmm. Impressive. Even when he was momentarily stunned beforehand, the son of Amaterasu was able to defeat Hercules."

"Why of course, sister," Death said with an amused smile, "I had no doubts for my Darling's victory. Though his pause before he started fighting the Greek God interests me. He didn't appear to be terrified of Hercules, or have a sudden bout of stage fright. I hate to say it, but Darling's actions worry me, and I do not like being worried."

"What do you suppose made him so stunned?' Oblivion asked, just for the sake of doing so.

Death narrowed her eyes, thoughts flowing throughout her vast consciousness. Her night-black eyes then widened as her frown curled upwards into a cruel smirk. Oblivion noticed this and crossed her arms, her dark-orange eyes glowering at her sibling's apparent amusement.

"So it's finally begun," Death cooed, "The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death has finally gained enough power to contact her adorable grandson."

"Do not be foolish, sister," Oblivion hissed, "Izanami-no-Mikoto resides within Yomi, the Shinto version of the Underworld. It is impossible for her to have any contact within the world of the living. And besides, Amaterasu and her siblings have no relation at all to Izanami."

Death merely chuckled in amusement at its sibling's words.

"Don't be so naïve. I am aware that Izanami is trapped within Yomi, and I know that Issei has no relation to her. But think about this. You are aware that it is possible for a primordial being or even an entity that predates all, to merge their consciousness with that of the supernatural world."

"Yes, I am aware. What is your point?"

"My point is that Izanami-no-Mikoto is a primordial goddess within the Shinto mythology." Death began, "It is known that she is immensely powerful, if not, one of the strongest entities of Japanese religion."

"So you are saying that Izanami and the literal supernatural world have become one?"

"That's correct. And the supernatural, or Izanami, has been following Issei since the day he was born, Oblivion. She really is obsessed with Amaterasu's son. Although what her motives are exactly, is unknown to even myself."

"What do you mean?"

"It is obvious that Izanami still harbors hatred for Izanagi for what he had done to her. And since Darling is a descendant of Izanagi, the Shinto Goddess also harbors hatred for him as well. However, there is also love as well."

Oblivion narrowed her eyes and uncrossed her arms.

"You speak nonsense, sister. You say Izanami has melded with the supernatural world, and that she hates Issei because of his grandfather. I do not see how she can hold love for Issei."

"It all has to do with what Izanami represents. She is the Goddess of Creation and Death. In a way, what she symbolizes is similar to the Greek Goddess of the Earth, Gaia. It would be characteristic of her if her feelings are mixed."

"Mixed?"

"She loves Issei because of her status as the Shinto of Creation, and yet she hates him because of Izanagi's wrongdoings, and the Death aspect of what she represents. She loves and hates him. It is her hatred that influences the supernatural the most."

Oblvion merely stared at its sibling, and huffed as it looked away.

"The son of Amaterasu's family is twisted to say the least."

"Fufufu. Indeed it is. Perhaps Amaterasu is the only sane one in the family."

* * *

><p><strong>VIP Stateroom<strong>

**[The fourth match is about to begin!]**

**[Odin the Chief God of Norse versus Apollo the Greek God of Music and more.]**

"So Odin is facing a Greek God?" Serafall asked, "I wonder how he'll do."

"In either case, it looks like Vali Lucifer was successful in his battle against the Norse God." Gaia said with a smile.

"He's strong," Gabriel commented, "Though I wonder what would happen if Issei-kun and Vali were to fight each other."

"My little Sun is just as strong." Amaterasu said with a hint of pride.

"No wonder he couldn't join my peerage." Rias said, before she could prevent herself from blurting out the rest of her thoughts.

At that instant both Amaterasu and Ophis turned to look at her. Rias deduced by the looks on their faces that she probably should have kept her mouth shut. Although Amaterasu had a calm look on her face, remnants of her powerful solar energy began to manifest around her.

"Rias Gremory," Amaterasu began, her tone taking on a regal and mature tone, "What is your reason for wanting my son to be in your peerage?"

Rias wet her lips, her nervousness clearly showing. She in no way wanted to anger the Sun Goddess, especially since her Solar Energy could actually extinguish her directly. If Issei was already stronger than her and her peerage, then how strong was Amaterasu?

Rias didn't want to find out.

"I-I," Rias stuttered, "He seemed very powerful and looked like a special boy, so I wanted to add him to my peerage."

Amaterasu's expression didn't falter in the slightest.

"And what exactly were you planning to do in order to turn him into a Devil?"

"I was going to use the Evil Pieces-"

"You're forgetting something." Amaterasu interrupted the Devil.

Rias widened her eyes in response.

"W-what?"

"You forgot something. Were you going to neglect asking my little Sun if he _wanted_ to become a Devil in the first place?"

"O-of course not! I thought I could convince him to!"

"Convince him? To become a Devil? I am not understanding you, Rias Gremory. What advantage would my little Sun gain from becoming a part of your peerage?"

The rest of the teenage Devils looked at Rias, unsure if they should even intervene or help the Gremory Devil. Sona wisely kept quiet, as she wasn't the only one who wanted Issei to be in a peerage. That didn't mean she was going to say it out loud like Rias did.

"Amaterasu." Gaia uttered quietly.

At the call of her name, the Goddess of the Sun let her solar flares fade away and looked over at the Greek Goddess of the Earth. Gaia sent her old friend an understanding smile. Amaterasu caught sight of her smile, and she willed herself to settle down as she sat down into her chair.

Gaia placed a comforting hand on Amaterasu's shoulder, lessening the Goddess' temper. Inwardly sighing, Amaterasu sent Rias a apologetic glance.

"I apologize for my temper." Amaterasu said quietly, much to Rias' surprise.

"I-it's um, no problem." Rias replied.

While Amaterasu and Gaia started to converse amongst themselves, the Occult Research Club and the Student Council were silent. Ophis was eating a buffet of sweets, completely content in her own little world.

"Where did Issei get that sword?"

As soon as those words were uttered out, the residents in the VIP Stateroom immediately quieted down. The words were spoken by Yuuto Kiba, who appeared to be lost in his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Rias asked.

Kiba turned to look at the Gremory Devil with a serious expression on his face.

"That sword Issei used in his fight against Hercules. That didn't look like the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi at all. Did he get a new one recently?"

Amaterasu blinked several times at Kiba's words. As far as she was concerned, Issei had never mentioned that he had gotten another sword.

"That sword is strong though." said Xenovia, who had not spoken up in a while, "The power rivals that of the Ex-Durandal, or perhaps even more. Even though he used the sword for a brief period of time, I could sense its aura."

"Ufufufu," Akeno giggled in amusement, "So now Issei-kun has two swords. He's certainly become a swordsman like you and Kiba, Xenovia."

"But what kind of sword is it?" Serafall asked.

"No one knows." Sona said with a shrug.

"...Albion."

The members of the VIP Stateroom turned to look at Ophis, who stood next to the once full buffet. The Ouroboros Dragon dusted herself off as she stood up straight. She then looked to the crowd of supernatural creatures.

"The jewel of the Vanishing Dragon, carries the soul of Albion. My Issei absorbed the power of Albion, and in return that power manifested into a blade alongside the Red Dragon Emperor."

"Wait!" Saji exclaimed in disbelief, "So Newby has both Ddraig and Albion?!"

"Add that to his solar energy," Tsubaki said as she crossed her arms, "And he truly is a God."

It was quiet once again until a pair of footsteps acted as the sound of the room. The members turned to see Ophis walking away from them.

"Hey, Ophis!" Saji said, "Where are you going?"

"I, am going to see if there are any sweets left." She answered without missing a beat.

"But you're not allowed to leave the VIP room!"

"I, do not care."

* * *

><p><strong>Indra's Room<strong>

The Heavenly Emperor sat in his throne, waiting for his next battle to begin. As of now, Odin was fighting Apollo, and it appeared that the former was gaining a slight advantage.

But that didn't matter to him.

Moments later, a portal suddenly opened near him, revealing Georg, Heracles, and Leonardo. Indra smirked at the appearance of the three humans.

"It took you boys long enough," He commented dryly, "Did you get the Leviathans like I ordered you to?"

"As a matter of fact we did," Heracles said, "I have to tell you though, that Alpha-Leviathan bitch is really pissed off at us."

"Humph. Forget about her," Indra waved off the discussion, "What's more important is that the Leviathans we have captured will serve as a new power source for myself."

"Power source?" Georg asked, "How on Earth are these power sources?"

"These Leviathans are amorphous and powerful creatures. They can envelop anything like a cover, or even a costume, creating a bond-like feature."

Georg widened his eyes at Indra's words.

"Are you saying that you plan to bond with these creatures?"

Indra didn't respond, choosing to chuckle quietly to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>At The Tournament (Food Court)<strong>

Attempting to soothe his worries and forget the memories he was suddenly thrusted into, Issei traveled to the food court of the tournament. He hoped that the food would be able to calm his nerves. If not, he didn't know what he was going to do.

Sighing, Issei looked up to see thousands of piles of foods that was enough for twenty Gods and Goddesses. True to that statement, there were already half of them eating at the table. Issei's stomach growled at the sight, and he pat it gently as he stared at the food.

"Issei Hyoudou. Over here."

Issei turned to see Vali signaling him to come over to him. Feeling a bit relieved, Issei eagerly walked over to his friend and rival and sat down next to him.

"Didn't expect to find you here, Vali."

"The feeling's mutual," Vali said as he bit into his food, "Besides, I need to eat before my second match."

"Your battle with Loki seemed to be no problem. While you've gotten stronger, Loki's power remained the same at the time I fought him."

Vali rose an eyebrow in response.

"His power never increased? Humph, then that whole fight was a waste of time."

"...It was a long time ago," Issei said, waving his hand in dismissal, "But I'm surprised that Loki never trained for the tournament at all."

"Humph. Then he was all to easy to defeat," Vali huffed in annoyance, "Where's that cousin of yours? Because after Odin is done, it's his turn next."

"Yoru's still waiting in the lobby. He's facing Sun Wukong. I gotta tell you Vali, I honestly believe Sun Wukong has an advantage over Yoru."

"You might be right," Vali agreed, "Sun Wukong has over 70 transformations, while Yoru has only two. And plus, that staff of his has powerful properties as well."

"I just hope Yoru doesn't go overboard and try to blow up the place." Issei said as he rubbed his head.

"It all depends on how his mood is." Vali said with a shrug.

Issei sighed and decided to dig in, hoping that the food would soothe his hunger and his nerves.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Soul Room<strong>

Suddenly, the location around him began to darken, and before he knew it, Issei found himself in a pitch black area of darkness. Issei groaned in annoyance, not wanting to go through another flashback.

"What's this? We don't see each other for a long time and the first thing I hear from you is a groan? Humph, you're such a pain in the ass."

Issei widened his eyes at the sound of the voice. It was just like his own, but distorted with a warbling growled echo.

"This isn't exactly the first time you've entered your own soul room. The first time wasn't enjoyable, because of that bony bastard's interference and you bleeding constantly. But I suppose it all worked out in the end."

Very slowly, Issei turned around and his eyes widened further.

He hadn't seen this entity in over six months. The last time he had seen the entity was when the latter had fused with the soul of the God from the Bible. With the soul of the Biblical God now gone, the other entity remained within Issei's soul.

However, the entity had been corrupted, in part due to Hades' attempt to turn Issei into a Grim Reaper. Issei had to destroy his Grim Reaper incarnation, completely cleansing himself from its impurities, which also lead to the entity being destroyed along with it.

However, due to Issei receiving a new body from Great Red's flesh and Ophis' magic, the entity was reborn along with him. He had also regained his sanity, taking his place as a part of Issei's soul once more. The soul that represented his unrestrained anger, instinct, and darkest personality traits.

The soul appeared to be an exact mirror image of Issei, with the exception of having yellow irises, black sclera, a greenish-tongue, and paper-white skin.

"It's you!"

The manifestation of Issei's anger, or as Ddraig rechristened him, _Hissei_, smirked as he crossed his arms.

"Yo. Long time no see, Issei."

"What are you doing here? I thought you-"

"You thought I was destroyed? Hah! Nice try! I'm a part of you as much as you're a part of me! When you were reborn, so was I!"

Issei didn't even know what to say.

"Why are you here? And why summon me into my soul room at a time like this?"

"Because you're clearly stressed you idiot," Hissei quipped, his smirk remaining, "I was created to hold your anger and what you always hated about yourself."

"But I'm not stres-"

"Don't even lie to me, Issei. If you weren't feeling stressed, I wouldn't have dragged you down to your soul room. Obviously, something's stressing you out."

"Well I..." Issei began, before he paused in his words.

"Is it because of those memories of the past?"

Issei widened his eyes at his inner's words.

"How did you-?"

"I told you already. I'm a part of you as much as you're a part of me. I saw those memories as well."

Suddenly, Issei's soul room began to shake, with the area around them dissolving away. Issei looked around his surroundings, while Hissei stood with his arms crossed.

"What's happening?!" Issei asked his inner self.

"We're flashing back!" Hissei shouted back, "Back to the beginning of Shinto mythology!"

**Next time...**

**Issei, along with his Inner self, are forced to observe the memories of the origins of Japanese Shinto mythology.**

* * *

><p><strong>Read &amp; Review :)<strong>

**P.S.**

**The appearance and traits of some of the female characters within this story are based on that of other animated female characters.**

**The 'Above'/God (First Form) - Yamabuki Otome/Hagoromo Gitsune from Nurarihyon no Mago.**

**The 'Above'/God (Second Form) - Ayaka Kagari from Witchcraft Works**

**Death - The Swamp Witch/Werbellia from Queen's Blade**

**Gaia - Aki Nijou from Maken-Ki**

**Alpha-Leviathan - Sayla from Fairy Tail**

**Leiko Hyoudou – Aunt Cass from Big Hero 6,**** Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea, and Chifuyu Orimura from Infinite Stratos**


	38. Solar God vs Heavenly Emperor: Prelude

**At the Arena of the Tournament**

**[Odin vs Apollo]**

In spite of his old age, Odin was still a formidable Norse God. From the short time he had to train before the tournament date was announced, he resolved to hone some of his abilities. Even though he was much stronger when he was younger, Odin wasn't hindered by his current age.

Apollo, a Greek God, wasn't exactly weak either. He may not have been as strong as the older Olympian Gods or even Hercules, but he was still an excellent archer. And he aimed to use that to his advantage.

The Greek God lifted his bow, and concentrated on where to eject his arrow. Manipulating the arrow with his light energy, Apollo released the arrow, making sure its target was set on Odin.

Much to Apollo's displeasure, Odin effortlessly dodged the arrow, and summoned the legendary spear known as Gungnir.

"Humph," Apollo huffed, "Do not tell me you plan to use that little spear of yours, Odin! It is no match against the power of my arrows."

Odin didn't respond, merely choosing to focus his energy into the glowing spear. Apollo scoffed and gathered another arrow into his bow. Wanting to finish the battle, the Olympian put more energy into his arrow, its power augmentation greater than the last time.

"And here I thought this tournament was going to be interesting," Odin muttered to himself, "What a shame."

"Hold your tongue!" Apollo bellowed as he ejected his arrow.

Odin threw the Gungnir spear towards the arrow. It looked as though Apollo's attack was going to pierce through Odin's spear, until Gungnir's tip began to generate high voltage bolts of electricity. Apollo's eyes widened when his arrow was disintegrated by Odin's spear, and pierced through his armor, sending him crashing out of the arena.

**[Apollo has been defeated! Odin is the winner!]**

The usual crowd of deities cheered out in glee.

Feeling real proud of himself, Odin sauntered out of the arena, debating whether or not to eat or watch the upcoming fight. On his walk, he spotted a meter tall being, covered in golden fur, with a wrinkled and creased face. Held in his hand was a staff-like weapon, with prayer beads on his forehead, shades, and a smoking pipe in his mouth.

"Sun Wukong," Odin greeted with a nod, "You ready for your first battle?"

Blowing out smoke from his pipe, Sun Wukong spared the Norse God a shrug of nonchalance.

"I didn't even bother to find out _who _I am facing, to tell you the truth. The son of Amaterasu and Vali Lucifer already had their battles, so I'm curious to see who my opponent is."

* * *

><p><strong>Food Court<strong>

"Damn it Issei, where are you?" Vali cursed.

It was as though time had stopped, and suddenly Issei was no longer sitting next to him. Vali normally wasn't concerned about his rival, but it still confused him on where Issei could have gone.

_(You seem worried, Vali.)_

The host of the Vanishing Dragon scoffed as he walked away from the food court. Albion's observation was correct, a factor of their friendship.

"I'm not worried, Albion. I'm just horribly confused. I would've heard the retreat of Hyoudou's footsteps anyway. Besides, he would have told me where he was gonna go before even moving. It's weird. One minute he's sitting next to me, and then he's suddenly gone."

_(Hmm. That is troublesome. He'd best hurry though. That cousin of his is about to fight Sun Wukong.)_

"It doesn't matter if Hyoudou needs to observe Yoru's fight. What _does_ matter is that I need to find him. After all, he's the one who created this plan that involves him, myself, and Yoru."

Muttering to himself, Vali sprinted onwards in hurry to search for his rival/friend.

"Hyoudou, wherever you are, you better be there for a good reason."

Unbeknownst to Vali, a shadow was hovering above him, completely undetected.

* * *

><p><strong>Lobby<strong>

Yoru's eyes slanted as he furrowed his brows in confusion and impatience.

"I don't sense my cousin's presence anymore. He better not have left me and the Vanishing Dragon to deal with his plan. Then again, the fool isn't that type of person to just leave a tournament. Humph."

Yoru crossed his arms and scoffed in displeasure. It was almost his time to battle against his first opponent. He wasn't worried at all. Not even a little. His power had grown exponentially while he had been trapped within the depths of Death's Domain. That was precisely why the lost souls that existed in that realm were unable to consume him.

**[Attention everyone! The fifth match of the first phase is about to begin!]**

**[Yoru vs Sun Wukong!]**

At the mention of his name and the opponent's name, Yoru let a dark smirk envelop his face.

"So it begins. This'll be over quickly."

Feeling pleased, Yoru walked over to go to the arena, ready for the battle to begin.

Unfortunately for Yoru, only he was the only one to feel satisfied when his name was called. The rest of the beings, however, were not so happy.

* * *

><p><strong>Another Part of the Lobby<strong>

Odin and Sun Wukong subtly reacted as they heard the name of the latter's opponent.

"The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. And here I thought he was dead." Sun Wukong commented lazily.

"...Humph," Odin huffed in distaste, "The son of the Moon. The exact opposite of Issei Hyoudou. I wonder how you'll fare against him."

Sun Wukong gave no reply, and simply transmitted away, leaving Odin to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>VIP Stateroom<strong>

"ARE YOU SHITTING ME?!"

The exclamation was uttered by Saji, who was having great difficulty in regaining his breath from screaming. He had immediately reacted as soon as Yoru's name was called.

"This can't be real!" Saji shouted, "I thought he was dead! We all thought he was gone for good!"

Saji wasn't the only one who was shocked at the sight of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto's son. The Occult Research Club, the Student Council, Gabriel, Serafall, and even Amaterasu were horrified. The three mentioned were all worried in due to their mutual concern for Issei. Gaia was perhaps the only one who didn't appear all that concerned.

'What is Tsukuyomi's son doing here?!' Amaterasu exclaimed in her thoughts, 'I didn't sense my brother at all in this tournament, and yet his son is here?! Oh no!'

"That can't be!" Rias gasped, "I thought Issei destroyed him!"

"We weren't there to see it!" Akeno pointed out.

"But he _tried _to kill Newby!" Saji began, "So there's no way he would have let him live!"

Feeling concerned for her son, Amaterasu attempted to search for Issei's energy signature. Her eyes widened when she received no response. Overprotective maternal instincts began to overwhelm Amaterasu as she stood up.

"I don't sense him!" She said in worry, "I don't sense my little Sun! Where could he be?!"

"Taking a trip to the past, if I'm correct." cooed a lethal yet seductive voice.

The Sun Goddess and the remainder of the members of the Stateroom turned to see the female personification of Death. Immediately a crushing aura began to envelop and dominate over the weaker beings, and they found themselves collapsing, with the exception of Amaterasu, Gaia, Serafall, and Gabriel.

"Shinigami?" Amaterasu questioned.

Death smiled as she looked over at the Sun Goddess.

"It's been a while, Goddess of the Sun. I didn't expect you to be at this tournament."

Saji widened his eyes at the woman, and found himself unable to breathe. Amaterasu tried to compose herself, knowing that Death was more or less an ally of her son.

"Where is my little Sun," She asked first, "And why on Earth is Tsukuyomi's son here?"

Death's smile widened, almost giving in to the urge of teasing the beings below it. However, as it and Amaterasu had mutual feelings regarding Issei, it ignored the urge.

"Well regarding Darling's case, he is trapped in a vision of the past. And the reason Yoru is alive and well all has to do with Issei."

Amaterasu widened her eyes.

"What do you mean, trapped in a vision of the past? Issei shouldn't have that ability because he didn't inherit it from myself or Izanagi."

"You're correct, Goddess of the Sun," Death remarked, "Issei does not possess that ability. But his 'loving' grandmother does."

Amaterasu felt her heart stop momentarily for just a second.

"No..." She breathed out, "Please, no! Not Izanami!"

Gaia sensed her friend's tension and tried to soothe her, only for Amaterasu to move away from her.

"That's not possible! How could she gain enough power to contact my little Sun?!"

"Izanami?" Gabriel questioned, "The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death?"

"She's Issei's grandmother?" Serafall asked.

"No!" Amaterasu turned to look at the Devil and Angel with a wide-eyed expression, "She's not! At least...not biologically."

Death lost her smile, feeling that the tension was far too high for her to edge further.

"The fusion between her consciousness and the supernatural sent Darling on a trip to the past."

"But why?" Gabriel asked the Shinigami.

"Perhaps she wants Issei to see why everything turned out the way it did," Death answered with a nonchalant shrug, "She certainly loves and hates her adorable little grandson. Even if she is trying to kill him."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Saji repeated as he waved his hands, "This doesn't make any sense! So this Izanami woman is Newby's grandmother? And if that's true, then why does she want to kill him?"

Amaterasu gave Death a glossy-eyed stare that exuded great sadness and despair.

"My family...is twisted. From the beginning of Izanagi and Izanami's meeting up until Izanami's fall into Yomi. From that point on, it's gotten worse. In spite of what I've always told Issei, his safety was my first priority. I sent him to Earth for that reason. To get away from the supernatural. But Izanami wouldn't let go of her grudge."

Narrowing her eyes, Gabriel looked over to Death.

"How long is Issei going to be in the past?"

"Forget about how long he's going to be there!" Serafall cried out, "What if Ise-chan doesn't come back?!"

"Hmm," Death hummed in thought, "It all depends on how many memories Izanami allows Issei to see. All we can do is wait for Darling to come back. That is...if his grandmother ever releases him from the past."

"This can't be happening..." Amaterasu whispered to herself, prompting Gaia to envelop her into a hug.

Death tilted her head at the mixed display of emotions.

'Even though I am worried about Darling as well, I am not too concerned. After all, I am able to spot where he and the manifestation of his Solar Powers are. They are at the beginning of Shinto mythology. If Izanami has any shred of 'love' for Issei, then perhaps she might let him go. If not, then Darling will just have to find someway to get out of the past.'

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

Leiko blinked several times in confusion as she looked at the dimensional screen. The Trihexa was focusing all of her attention on the screen, wondering what was happening. The Great Red on the other hand, was looking absolutely bored.

Sure, he was happy to see Issei's fight, and grudgingly applauded Vali's fight, but the others he couldn't care less about.

"Red, can you see where Ise-itoko is?" Leiko asked the Apocalypse Dragon.

"Yeah, yeah." Great Red droned in boredom.

The True Red Dragon God Emperor closed his eyes as he tried to find Issei's spiritual energy. His eyes then snapped open in confusion.

"That's strange. I sense him. But he's not at the tournament."

"What?!" Leiko exclaimed, "Well, where is he?!"

"Calm down already, cousin-in-law!" The True Dragon barked at Leiko, "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

The Apocalypse Dragon snarled in annoyance, trying to figure out where Issei was at the moment. He felt the vibration of 666's growl of annoyance as she tried to sense Issei as well.

"I...can't sense...Issei." The Trihexa's eyes started to constrict, causing Leiko to crawl away from her.

"Humph," Great Red huffed, "Now 666 is pissed off. Damn it Issei, where are you?"

"Ise-itoko wouldn't leave the tournament like that," Leiko pointed out, before her crimson-ruby eyes widened, "Could someone have taken him?!"

An opening space suddenly manifested within the Dimensional Gap, causing Leiko, Great Red, and the Trihexa to move their attention to the portal. Seconds later, a figure jumped out of the portal, and stood in front of the three inhabitants of the Dimensional Gap. Leiko widened her eyes at the newcomer, while the Trihexa sent the figure a twisted and deranged glare.

"What the hell?!" Great Red exclaimed.

It was a voluptuous young woman with sharp dark-golden horns, pale skin, wild black hair, and a unicursal hexagram on her stomach. Her body trembled with rage, causing her aura to disrupt the area of the Dimensional Gap.

The Alpha-Leviathan snarled as she looked over at the other occupants. From what she could sense, the first girl was human, and the other two beings were powerful creatures. But that didn't matter to her. She needed to track down Indra and bring back her fellow Leviathans, and swallow every drop of Solar Energy from the boy she had heard about.

Narrowing her eyes, the Alpha sent her eyes over to Leiko, who recoiled back.

"_**Where is the Heavenly Emperor?!**_" She roared,"_**Is he at that blasted tournament?!**_"

"Y-you mean Indra?" Leiko asked hesitantly.

Great Red scoffed as he looked at the Alpha.

"Just who the hell are you? And what do you need Indra for?"

"_**He promised me the consumption of Solar Energy. And then he summons those pathetic humans to steal away the rest of the Leviathans.**_"

"Wait," Leiko began, "Solar Energy? Leviathans?! You mean Indra wanted to sic you after Ise-itoko?!"

"Humph, like that hasn't happened before." Great Red rolled his eyes, alluding to the Trihexa, whose eyes twitched at the mention of Issei.

"_**You fools are wasting my time!**_" The Alpha shouted with a scowl,"_**I will go find Indra myself!**_"

Before the others could say anything, the Alpha-Leviathan gathered a pool of energy and summoned it in the form of a portal. Increasing her energy, the Alpha flew towards the portal in a high amount of speed.

"Oh..." Leiko moaned as she palmed her face, "This can't be good."

"I know," Great Red agreed, "Issei's getting another member in his Unwanted Harem. I'm not sure if the kid can handle another one."

"I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT!" Leiko shrieked, "I'm talking about Issei being in actual danger! Didn't you hear her mention Indra? He's obviously planning to do something harmful to Ise-itoko! And I think it has something to do with those Leviathans!"

"Well, screaming like a damn banshee isn't helping anyone, now is it?!" The Apocalypse Dragon snapped back.

* * *

><p><strong>Tournament<strong>

**[Yoru vs Sun Wukong]**

The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto walked onto the arena as he spotted his opponent. Immediately after, a dark smirk pulled on his lips. Normally he didn't care about who he was fighting within the tournament, but not even he could ignore the excitement of battle.

Sun Wukong, in contrast to Yoru, was perfectly still. He showed no facial reaction, nor physical movement.

"Issei Hyoudou took great lengths of his power when he fought against you. Why you are back in the world of the living and standing on top of the arena in front of me, is beyond me."

Yoru lost his smile and crossed his arms in impatience.

"Why I'm back here is none of your business, Monkey King. And I don't feel like chatting with you, so let's just get to fighting already!"

**[Ready?]**

Yoru moved into a battle stance, while Sun Wukong remained in his spot.

**[FIGHT!]**

Ready to get into battle, Yoru charged head on, intending to headbutt "The Great Victorious Fighting Buddha". He gathered his lunar power into the form of an energy sphere and augmented his speed.

Sun Wukong remained still. As soon as Yoru edged closer, the Monkey King lifted up only a finger. Yoru's shield bashed against Wukong's finger, and the Lunar God found himself getting angry and confused. Sun Wukong showed no resistance as he pushed back Yoru's shield with just his finger.

'What's going on here?!' Yoru shouted in his thoughts.

Suddenly, a portal opened up near Yoru and Sun Wukong, prompting the former to edge away from the latter. The Alpha-Leviathan jumped out of the portal, and glared all around her. Yoru and Sun Wukong were perplexed enough to exchange confused glances.

The crowd of Gods and Goddesses were silent, and looked on in amazement as they caught sight of the Alpha. Noticing all the stares all around her, the Alpha-Leviathan growled and turned her attention to Yoru and Sun Wukong. Unbeknownst to her, a black substance was hovering above her.

"_**Where is he?! Where is that swine Indra?!**_"

Before Sun Wukong or even Yoru could answer, the substance suddenly covered the Alpha and engulfed her. The Alpha screamed and shrieked as she tried to get out of her trap.

"It's such a shame that I had to use her. But it seems the other Leviathans missed their leader so much that I just had to take her back."

Yoru and Sun Wukong looked up to see a grotesque figure that appeared to be clad in a symbiotic black suit. The black substance that enveloped the Alpha-Leviathan glided over to the figure, which allowed him to absorb the fragment of power. Yoru growled, unable to believe the power surge emitting from the figure.

'Who the hell is this guy?!'

The black-suited entity flared out his aura, causing pollution to the air and environment around him.

"Heh heh heh heh heh! With this power, defeating Shiva will be a simple task!"

Sun Wukong sported a glare as he stared coldly at the entity.

"Indra!"

The Heavenly Emperor smirked as he transmitted away, and then reappeared in front of Sun Wukong, who was momentarily taken aback at Indra's speed. Suddenly, a black and white sphere of energy gathered into Indra's suit-covered hand. Smirking darkly, Indra pushed the sphere into Sun Wukong's stomach. On contact, a vast dome-shaped blast flattened and erased the entire portion of the arena.

The Gods and Goddesses widened their eyes in shock as they covered their eyes from the blinding light. Yoru shielded his eyes as well, trying to find where Indra was as well. From above Yoru, the very same substance that captured the Alpha-Leviathan hovered over him.

As the light cleared, Yoru removed his arms from his eyes, and searched for Indra's energy.

"Where are you, you damn bastard!" He shouted out.

Yoru then widened his eyes as he looked down to see a shadow above him. The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto widened his eyes and looked up to see the black substance. Snarling, Yoru flared out his lunar aura.

"Not this time!"

Yoru flew from the substance, and soared away. As he summoned his energy shield, Yoru got ready to fly upwards, until a hand shot through his shield, and grabbed him by the throat.

"What?!"

"What was that you were saying?" Indra mocked, "Not this time?"

"FU-"

Before Yoru could curse the Hindu God, Indra reached his other hand, and tore it through the Lunar God's stomach. Yoru coughed out a mouthful of blood, and gasped for air.

'W-what is this power?!'

Indra smirked as the black substance he had summoned began to glide over to Yoru. The substance then swallowed Yoru whole, allowing Indra to absorb the portion into his black suit.

"Excellent!" Indra bellowed, "This is truly excellent!"

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"What is this fool doing?!"

"Is that a suit?!"

Indra ignored the crowds of deities, and looked down to the space where the arena used to be.

"What you are planning is not going to work, Indra."

The black-suited Heavenly Emperor turned around, and was delivered a punch to the face powerful enough to make him soar downwards. Indra's eyes constricted as black blood seeped from his costume. As he gained his balance, he looked up, and his eyes widened in surprise to see who had punched him.

Her skin was a healthy pale-white, in great contrast to her long black hair that flowed in sync with the cool air. In spite of that fact that she was still in her voluptuous adult form, she was clad in her familiar black Gothic Lolita fashion. Her dark-gray eyes, which were only soft and affectionate towards her mate, were ruthless and unfeeling.

"Ouroboros Dragon," Indra greeted, "I did not expect you to be here."

Ophis chose not to respond, instead keeping her eyes on the Heavenly Emperor. Indra narrowed his eyes as he spotted another piece of the black substance behind the Infinite Dragon God.

It was fortunate for Indra that he had destroyed the ground arena, and the fact that no other being could sense the life force of the black substance. And Ophis had no way of knowing. Indra smiled, feeling confident in himself. He made sure not to show any facial reaction to the Ouroboros Dragon.

"Your power has increased to exponential levels. You also possess power that predates that of the Angels, as well as the Three Factions. What is the source of your strength?"

'You're about to find out, Ouroboros!' Indra hissed in his thoughts.

The black substance began to gllide closer to Ophis, who remained still in her position.

"You will find out soon enough." He uttered.

"Guess again!"

Both Ophis and Indra widened their eyes at the sound of the voice. Seconds later, two medium-sized flaming energy spheres descended towards the black substance behind Ophis. The spheres then combined into a sphere resembling a giant yellow-orange, sun-like energy sphere, and collided with the substance, completely eradicating it.

The explosion created another blinding light, and when it faded, Ophis opened her dark-gray eyes. She was in a pair of warm yet strong arms that radiated powerful Solar Energy. The person was holding her closely, as though he never wanted to let go of her.

Ophis smiled warmly as she snuggled into the person's chest. She knew who it was, and her emotions softened as she felt safe.

"My Issei." She whispered.

"It's all right, Ophis." The Solar God said as he bent down to kiss his wife on the lips, "Everything's gonna be okay."

"I, am happy that you are here."

Indra scowled deeply as he spotted the young man holding the Ouroboros Dragon safely. Issei kept his smile on Ophis, but then his smile formed into a glare as he sent his attention to Indra, who formed a smirk on his face.

"Do you sense them, Issei Hyoudou? Do you sense Vali Lucifer? Do you also sense the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto as well? Not only do I possess the powers of the Vanishing Dragon, the Moon, and the entire Leviathan population, but I have my own power increased to extreme levels. You don't stand a chance!"

Issei lowered his head, his hair starting to overshadow his eyes. His hair blew along with the wind. Ophis' eyes were shadowed as well, with anyone near her unable to see her expression.

"You've gone too far this time, Indra."

"And just what do you plan to do about it?"

At that very moment, Ophis moved herself out of Issei's arms and stood next to her mate.

Two powerful swords manifested in Issei's hands. The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, and the blade of Albion glowed with intense energy. The powers of Ddraig, the Yamata-no-Orochi, and the clone of the Vanishing Dragon surrounded Issei in a multi-colored aura.

Issei looked over to Ophis, and leaned forward to give the Infinite Dragon God another full kiss on the lips. In spite of the current situation, Ophis resisted the urge to squirm under the sensational pleasure. Seconds later, Issei released his lips from his wife.

"Be careful, my beloved Issei."

"I will."

"...Do you promise?"

Issei turned to face the Ouroboros Dragon, noticing the prideful yet worried look in her eyes. Flashing her a reassuring smile, Issei nodded to her.

"I promise."

And that was enough for Ophis. Smiling at her mate, Ophis transmitted away. With no one to distract him, Issei sent his glare over to the smug Indra.

"Where have you been, son of Amaterasu?"

"..."

"Not going to answer, huh? As I would expect, from the savior of the world."

Issei maintained his glare and scowled at the Hindu God.

"There's always some idiot who wants to dominate everyone in his path and remain superior."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Indra quipped, "And what about you, Issei Hyoudou? You acting like some sort of hero?"

"I'm not a hero, Indra."

"Do not lie, son of Amaterasu. You've saved people's lives, the world, and even your own family. And you don't refer to yourself as a hero?"

"I didn't do any of those things just because it was the right thing to do. I also didn't do it just to paint myself as a hero. I did it because I wanted to do it."

"You're deluding yourself, boy."

"Nothing's changed, Indra. I am who I am, and now that I've thought about it, there is nothing wrong with that. The past continues onto the future just like it always has, constantly bringing conflicts and solutions."

"Conflicts and solutions, you say?"

"Exactly. You're a part of my conflict, and I have a solution to end that conflict."

"Well, you'd best hope your _solution_ works!" Indra shouted as his body began to expand within the black suit.

Issei narrowed his eyes as he readied himself. As he looked up at the sky, he spotted an illusion of a familiar Shinto Goddess, who stared down at him with her original flesh intact. The expression on her face was mixed, with one of the conflicting emotions she harbored towards her grandson predominating her true feelings.

Issei stared back at the vivid image of Izanami-no-Mikoto.

'...You just won't quit, will you, Grandma? Well, I'm sorry to say, but I'm not quitting anytime soon!'

"Prepare yourself, Issei Hyoudou!" Indra screamed, the Leviathan suit increasing in power.

Issei tightened his grip on the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Vanishing Blade.

_{Partner, be careful...}_

_[Issssssei...]_

_((Be careful, kid.))_

'...I will.'

**Read and Review :)**


	39. Issei vs Indra

With the rest of the Gods and Goddesses retreating to their mythological worlds, the True Solar Dragon stood across from the transformed Heavenly Emperor. The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon glowed brightly in Issei's hands, and began to meld themselves into his body.

Indra spotted the motion, raising an eyebrow as he donned a smug look.

"What's this? Choosing not to use those pathetic swords?"

Indra's answer was revealed as he felt a massive power surge from Issei's energy signature. The Heavenly Emperor adopted a scowl as he crossed his arms.

'It seems I was incorrect. He absorbed the powers of The Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi into his being. Is this his full power? His maximum potential?'

Spirals of crimson, black, and silver energy emanated from the Solar God, spreading out into the sky. Indra looked up as the energies manifested into the shapes of Ddraig, Albion, and the Yamata-no-Orochi, each of them staring down at him.

Indra remained unfazed at the stare down, feeling extremely confident in himself. Why shouldn't he be? He had already absorbed the powers of Sun Wukong, Vali Lucifer, Yoru, the Alpha-Leviathan, and many of the other Leviathans. With those collective powers, destroying the son of Amaterasu should be a simple task for him.

Issei narrowed his eyes and sprinted towards Indra in a burst of great speed. The Solar God positioned his hand into a straight motion and went to strike Indra. As soon as his hand came close to Indra's face, it suddenly froze, prompting Issei to widen his eyes in surprise.

Indra smirked smugly as he used Yoru's Lunar ability to slow the astral time around him. A black tendril from the Leviathans he absorbed sprouted from the black costume, and grabbed onto Issei's arm. He relished at the sight of Issei's incredulous face. He tightened the tendril's pressure around Issei's arm, causing it to explode into pools of scattered blood. Issei watched on in horror as he saw his hand separate away from him.

Issei clicked his tongue and grunted as the pool of blood regenerated into a orange-crimson shadow-like substance. Indra frowned as he noticed that the blood reformed into a new arm, before he refocused on the battle, and used Yoru's power to manipulate gravity to disrupt Issei's balance.

He grabbed onto Issei's leg and spun him around, swinging him towards the buildings of the arena. He then flashed towards Issei, and shot an energy blast towards him. The energy directed on its target, the target being Issei's entire body, and erupted in a great flash of light.

Indra flew up to the sky, waiting for the light to dissipate. He found himself chuckling with mirth at the situation he was in.

"I never actually thought this was possible!" He shouted, "The son of Amaterasu, the mate of the Ouroboros Dragon, not even landing a hit on me! This is most splendid!"

As his shouts echoed throughout the arena, Indra looked down to see the disappearing light. His smug smirk dissolved into a surprised scowl as he spotted Issei laying with one knee on the ground. While his left arm was intact, his right arm consisted of a mass of chaotic black and silver shadow matter. The shadow matter began to reform into a newly functional arm, with blood still dripping from Issei's face.

"Just like a cockroach, he just won't die!" Indra muttered as he quickly teleported over to Issei.

Indra's body then began to transform, with the use of Sun Wukong's ability. The black suit that currently enveloped him, morphed his body into a giant-sized hell-hound. Issei stood as the hell-hound roared and dived right at him, swallowing him whole.

Indra gulped down the Solar God, making a growling sound in the process. The transformed Heavenly Emperor then felt a sudden sting in his body, and howled out in fury. His large body expanded and imploded, causing several clumps of black puddles to spiral out of control.

Issei flared out his aura, destroying the pieces of the Leviathan creatures that were splattered all over his body. He looked up to see the black substance forming into the black-suited Indra. The part of the suit that covered Indra's face retracted itself, revealing the angry Heavenly Emperor.

Suddenly, a pair of white Dragon wings manifested on the back of the black suit. The silver energy flowed around Indra's body, and he transmitted away, reappearing in front of Issei, and held out his hand. Immediately after, Issei began to shrink.

"Do you know of this ability, son of Amaterasu? I believe it derives from your rival, the Vanishing Dragon."

Issei remained silent, in spite of his body decreasing in size. Indra then started to notice, that he hadn't seen the son of Amaterasu utter a single word since the battle had begun. Scowling, Indra hid his discontent and regained his composure.

"With Vali Lucifer absorbed into my power, I also retain his memories and abilities. This ability is called _Compression Divider,_ one of the strongest abilities of the Vanishing Dragon. It carries the ability to compress the body of a specific opponent until they vanish."

The reaction Indra wanted from Issei was not granted, as the young man continued to stand still as his body size diminished.

'What is going on?!' Indra shouted in his thoughts, 'Why isn't he reacting?! He's not even moving or responding to my actions?! No! Is he mocking me?! Thinking he can withstand all of my attacks! That little bastard!'

His arrogance blinding him, Indra summoned a large sphere of lunar energy in one hand, and a black energy bomb in the other hand. He melded them together, forming the two spheres into a colossal bomb of energy. As Issei continued to diminish, Indra wasted no time in throwing the energy bomb towards him.

The energy radiating from the bomb began to disintegrate everything around it.

* * *

><p><strong>VIP Stateroom<strong>

The Devils, Angel, and Goddesses looked around in horror as the area dissolved around them. The Occult Research Club, the Student Council, the Phenex peerage, Serafall, Gabriel, Amaterasu, and Gaia went ready to move around.

Death had already returned to its own Domain after speaking to Amaterasu about the 'fusion' between Izanami and the supernatural world.

Ophis was the only one who showed no facial reaction. Although a tinge of worry held towards her mate, and slightly towards her mother-in-law, dawned in her mind. She had the power to shield the supernatural creatures, but her overwhelming concern for Issei clouded her thoughts.

Before Ophis started to react, a portion of the wall burst forward. The members looked up to see the colossal Apocalypse Dragon staring each of them in the face.

"Baka-Red." Ophis greeted her brother-in-law.

The supernatural deities and creatures widened their eyes in surprise as they spotted the Trihexa and Leiko sitting on top of the Great Red.

"Get your asses over here!" Great Red said, "This place is about to blow!"

"But what about Newby?!" Saji shouted.

"My Issei will be fine." Ophis reassured the pawn of Sona Sitri.

"Ophis-" Amaterasu began before she was interrupted by the Apocalypse Dragon.

"We'll talk about it later! Just get on top of me already!"

With no other choice, Ophis and the others got on top of Great Red's scales, and the True Dragon transmitted away from the tournament to the Dimensional Gap.

* * *

><p><strong>The Dimensional Gap<strong>

Great Red huffed in annoyance at the people he was around. He had sent the members of the Phenex clan back to the Underworld, so now he was stuck with Leiko, the Trihexa, Ophis, Amaterasu, Gaia, Gabriel, Serafall, and the teenage Devils.

"What is going on out there?" Leiko asked.

"Isn't it obvious, cousin-in-law?" Great Red quipped, "The kid's fighting Indra."

"What if Newby needs help?" Saji edged on, "We can't just-"

"You would only be in the way of my mate's battle." Ophis said as she narrowed her eyes, "All of you. Indra would have no qualms in using everyone here as an advantage."

"But you're worried too, aren't you Ophis?" Amaterasu asked her daughter-in-law.

Ophis nodded to her mother-in-law.

"I, am concerned for my precious Issei as well. Indra has absorbed Sun Wukong, Vali and Albion, Yoru, and one thousand and one sources of energies I do not recognize. That has granted him a massive exponential increase in power."

"Well how strong is he?" Gabriel asked.

"Is he stronger than you or Great Red?" Serafall added.

Great Red huffed at the question, while Ophis sent her dark-gray eyes over to the Angel and Devil.

"No," She answered, "The level of strength Indra wields exceeds that of the other Gods and Goddesses of different mythologies. But it is nowhere near our strength. He is an ant compared to us."

"Then what about Issei?" Rias asked, "How strong is he?"

"...Without the power of Ddraig, the Yamata-no-Orochi, and the clone of Albion, my mate's base power currently possesses the same level of intensity of his final transformation from six months ago."

"Final transformation?" Akeno asked.

The Occult Research Club and the Student Council blinked in surprise. Amaterasu was silent as she looked over to Ophis, who stared back.

"Yes," The Goddess of the Sun answered, "His final form. It was the form he took in his battle against Tsukuyomi's son."

"So you're saying that the level of power that Issei has in his base form," Gabriel said as she tried to understand, "Is the same level of strength of his ultimate form from six months ago?"

"That's right." Amaterasu offered.

"So if Newby right now is as strong as his Super Solar God form from six months ago," Saji guessed as he crossed his arms, "What will happen if he transforms, or uses the power of those swords of his?"

"Issei will not...transform. But...he might use swords." The Trihexa uttered out.

The supernatural creatures jumped in surprise at 666's words.

"What do you mean Hyoudou-san won't transform?" Tsubaki asked.

"Because of everyone else fusing with Indra," Gaia offered, "There's a chance that if Issei destroys Indra, then that will cause them to be destroyed as well. And I'm sure Ise-chan doesn't want that to happen."

Both Amaterasu and Serafall looked over to the Greek Earth Goddess, with the latter giving Gaia a suspicious look in response to the honorific added to Issei's name.

"So what's Ise-itoko going to do?" Leiko pressed on the subject, "That's going to be a tough decision for him to make."

"My mate knows what he will do." Ophis replied.

Leiko turned to look at her cousin-in-law, who stared back with her cold dark-gray eyes.

"Your cousin...my mate, is foolish." The Ouroboros Dragon began, "But he is not stupid."

"You're calling him foolish," Sona said as she fixed her glasses, "I don't understand."

"My Issei is foolish," Ophis said, her flat lips forming into a full smile, "But Issei is MY foolish little mate."

* * *

><p><strong>[Issei vs Indra]<strong>

The black-silver bomb of energy shot towards the dwindling Issei quickly. The sphere then collided with Issei, causing the ground to shake in tremors.

"HA HA HA HA HA!" Indra laughed maniacally at his destruction, "This is splendid!"

Suddenly, the sphere of energy began to move back a little. Indra widened his eyes and spotted a flare of crimson-black and silver energy flowing from the bottom of the energy bomb.

"What's happening?!" Indra exclaimed, "My energy bomb is being pushed back! But that's impossible!"

From below the bomb, Issei, reverting to his normal size, slowly pushed the attack back. He sported a confident smile on his face as he augmented the level of his speed. his energy increasing to a large degree.

"Impossible!" Indra uttered quietly.

Indra couldn't believe it. Even after all of the attacks he had inflicted onto Issei, the son of Amaterasu constantly regenerated. What confused the Hindu God even more, was that the Solar God wasn't even attacking back. He simply stood there, enduring the brunt of Indra's attacks.

Issei picked up more speed, the weight of Indra's vast energy bomb decreasing by the second. He loosened his grip off of the bomb, positioned his foot in reverse, and kicked the bomb away from him.

Indra widened his eyes as the energy bomb soared towards him. As he stood still, the energy bomb barely came in contact with his skin. The Hindu God could only watch in shock as his energy bomb soared upwards to the sky.

The sphere then collapsed into itself, creating a huge explosion. The light derived from the energy bomb flashed, overshadowing the silhouettes of both Issei and Indra. The explosion brought forth a strong wind that blew over both the Hindu God and the Solar God. The light then disappeared, revealing the destroyed remnants of the tournament Indra had conjured up.

Indra scowled as he glowered at the quiet Issei, who stared back at him with his arms crossed. While the Hindu God was growing impatient and reckless, Issei appeared to be fine.

"You know," Issei began, speaking for the first time since the battle had begun, "At the way you're going now...you'll never beat Shiva."

Indra widened his eyes at the mention of his rival, and his scowl only deepened.

"What did you just say, brat?"

Issei uncrossed his arms, and lowered his head as he looked down.

"You're wasting your energy, using the power that doesn't even belong to you. If you can't even control that power, then there's no hope for you defeating Shiva."

"You wretch!" Indra roared, "How dare you say that! With this power, Shiva doesn't stand a chance against me!"

"Is that so?" Issei asked as he tilted his head, "Well if that's true, then why waste your time fighting someone like me instead of going straight to Shiva?"

"Because I want to test my glorious power before I destroy Shiva with it!"

"And here I thought you wouldn't stoop to lying, Indra."

"Say that again, boy." Indra hissed in a warning tone.

"You said you would destroy Shiva with your power. But in reality, that power doesn't belong to you. You stole that power."

"Who ever said I was honorable?"

"Aside from that," Issei waved off Indra's quip, "There's no way you could ever beat Shiva."

Indra was slowly losing his patience at the Solar God's words.

'How dare he mock me! He is this close to suffering my pure wrath.'

Unbeknownst to Indra, Issei wasn't teasing him. In fact, he was telling Indra the truth.

"You spout nonsense, boy!"

"Tell me Indra. You absorbed Vali, Yoru, Sun Wukong, and those other creatures. What makes you think you can utilize those powers to your advantage?"

A vein popped on Indra's forehead as he gritted his teeth.

"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

The black-suited Heavenly Emperor charged at Issei and held his fist back. When he got close to Issei, he sent it forward, only for Issei to turn his body slightly out of reach. Indra recovered and repeated his attempted attack, with the same result happening once again.

The Hindu God then lifted his foot up, prompting Issei to dodge the attempt once more. Feeling impatient, Indra flew back and summoned a sphere of energy. He sent the attack towards the motionless Issei, who positioned himself and deflected the attack back at Indra.

Indra gasped as he dodged his own attack just in time. As he turned around, he looked down just in time to see a black combat boot covered foot speeding toward his way. Indra flew back at the impact, and soared away.

Indra then rushed towards Issei, sending a barrage of punches and kicks. The Hindu God dodged every one of them. As Indra drew his fist back, Issei quickly kneed him in the stomach, and grabbed the black tendril. He shot a crimson-black energy blast at the black-suited Indra.

"GAHHHHHHH!"

The Hindu God regained his balance and reappeared behind Issei. He drew his fist back to attack, only for Issei to quickly punch him in the cheek. As Indra retaliated by attempting to knee Issei, the Solar God grabbed his knee, and held onto him tightly. Issei flew down and let go of the Hindu God, sending him downwards.

The Heavenly Emperor recovered and used the texture of the Leviathan suit to bind himself around Issei. Issei rose an eyebrow as he felt Indra try to squeeze him tightly, and he flared out his aura. Seconds later, Issei's aura expanded, causing Indra to disintegrate into black substances. Issei narrowed his eyes as he held onto the black tendril, and watched Indra reanimate himself.

Indra flexed his muscles and scowled at the Solar God, who stood where he was. Noticing the direction of Indra's eyes, Issei held up the black tendril, and motioned it towards Indra. His scowl lessening, Indra smirked and nodded, prompting Issei to toss the tendril back to him. Before Indra had enough time to grab it, Issei then sent a black energy sphere towards the tendril, destroying it completely.

Indra snarled and formed another black tendril that glowed with energy. The spiraling energy enveloped Issei, swallowing him whole. Indra howled in delight as Issei's size began to diminish, his body chemistry altering to a small size.

Indra held out his hand, and caught a rock the size of a gemstone. The Hindu God let out a mighty roar of laughter as he looked upon the stone.

"You dared to mock me and look what happened to you!" Indra shouted at the motionless object, "I could crush you in an inst-"

He was cut off when his hand suddenly bashed into his own face, causing him to drop the rock.

"GAHHHHH!"

Indra clasped his injured face and opened his eyes, only to gasp in shock.

"This cannot be!"

The rock was floating in right of him, levitating up and down. Indra trembled with rage and confusion, and backed away.

"Out of all the things you could have turned me into," The rock began, its voice familiar yet also high-pitched, "You transform me into a rock. Wow. Even I'm a bit stunned."

"Shut your mouth!" Indra bellowed.

The Heavenly Emperor lifted his hand, with only his index finger and middle finger pointed upwards. A godly amount of energy glowed from his hand. Indra shot the blast towards the rock, who quickly burst through the energy blast in a great amount of speed. The rock then turned to the side, and tore through Indra's index and middle fingers, causing great pain.

"AHHH! Curse you, Issei Hyoudou!"

"I guess it's true when they say rock beats scissors, huh Indra." Issei quipped, before he moved in front of Indra.

Indra cut back his retort and held out his right hand. The Rock-Issei increased his traveling speed, with burning energy surrounding him.

"They also say that paper covers rock," He began, "Let's test that theory, shall we?"

As soon as Indra heard Issei's last sentence, he felt a sharp pain course through his hand.

"GAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Indra clutched his hand as a burning sensation tore through it, and he looked up to see the Rock-Issei floating away from him, stopping to glance at him.

"Well. That's interesting." Rock-Issei deduced, "Apparently, paper _doesn't_ cover rock!"

"DAMN YOU, SON OF AMATERASU!" Indra's roar echoed throughout the Heaven of Hindu religion, "This shouldn't be happening to me!"

"Oh, but it is," Issei said, his high-pitched adopting a serious tone, "You thought turning me into a rock would increase your chances of beating me. Looks like you were wrong."

Indra snarled and ejected a black tendril out of the Leviathan suit, its power covering Issei in its essence. The rock began to change shape, reverting to the form of the familiar Solar God, who checked himself and looked over at the hyperventilating Indra.

"You're wasting your time, Indra. And my time as well. Just give up already."

Indra quickly turned around and stared at the solemn Issei with wide eyes.

"You little worm! You dare tell me to give up?!"

Issei inwardly sighed and looked up to see the vivid image of Izanami-no-Mikoto staring down at him.

Her long black hair flowed behind her, while her fair skin seemed to be growing paler. Her facial expression seemed to border on a combination of anger and confusion.

Suddenly, the image of Izanami began to manifest into reality. Issei stood quietly as his grandmother held out her arms to him. Her hands glowed with energy and positioned themselves as if to reach for his neck, but it didn't faze the Solar God in the slightest. Very slowly, Izanami tightened her hands and placed them on Issei's cheeks.

As Issei looked up, he widened his eyes a little when he noticed tears flowing from Izanami's eyes. He couldn't tell what the tears meant, but he knew they were directed towards him. Izanami's soft whimpering was not unheard by Issei's ears, and the Solar God kept his eyes on his grandmother.

_You belong to me. You're MY grandson!_

Issei heard the chilling and possessive tone of Izanami's voice loud and clear, but he didn't reply verbally. He lifted his hand and placed it on top of Izanami's own, causing more tears to flow from the Goddesses' eyes.

'...Am I really, Grandma? Or am I just a slave to your hatred?'

Izanami gazed at her grandson with mixed emotions, her tears becoming more prominent. She caressed Issei's cheeks, and moved her left hand to his chin.

"Issei Hyoudou! Are you paying attention?!"

Issei looked over to see Indra giving him another scowl. The young man then looked back, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

'Grandma.'

The image of Izanami-no-Mikoto was gone. Issei lowered his head, moving his focus on the current battle. He then turned around to face Indra, and crossed his arms.

_I...I hate you!_

_I love you!_

_You're MY grandchild!_

Issei, hearing the poisonous words of Izanami, adopted a look of determination and flared out his aura, glaring at Indra.

"You won't win this, Indra." Issei declared as he looked at the Hindu God.

"Stop talking as though you're making sense, you brat!" Indra roared.

"It's like I said, that power doesn't belong to you. If it really did, then you would know how to use those powers you stole."

"Cut that out and fight back you fool! All this time, you've been standing here like a statue, randomly defending yourself against my attacks! Why haven't you shown your true power?!"

Issei kept his mouth shut, and locked eyes with the Heavenly Emperor. Indra glared at the son of Amaterasu, until his eyes widened.

"I see now."

Issei rose an eyebrow in response.

"You won't deliberately attack me...because of the ones I absorbed." Indra deduced as a malicious smile formed on his face.

"..."

"Yes! That's it! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I should have figured it out from the start! You're pathetic, Issei Hyoudou!"

Issei kept his raised eyebrow, and gave Indra a blank and annoyed look. He lifted his hands up, allowing the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon to manifest.

"Taking out your swords again?"

Issei kept quiet as his swords glowed with power, and he moved them towards each other. The combined energies released an even brighter light that temporarily blinded Indra, prompting the Heavenly Emperor to cover his eyes.

The light faded, allowing Indra to remove his cover, and his eyes widened at the sight. Held in Issei's left hand, was a gigantic axe. The front edge of the axe glowed with the crimson-black auras of Ddraig and the Yamata-no-Orochi, while the rest of the weapon glowed with a silver aura, deriving from the clone of Albion.

"U-unbelievable!" Indra shouted in disbelief, "You combined the two swords?! The powers of the Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi melded together?! How can this be?!"

Issei effortlessly held the fusion of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon in his hand, staring at Indra with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Out of all the people I've fought, you're the strangest one, Indra."

"What are you going on about, boy?"

"This is only the second time I've used my power to full maximum." Issei explained.

At this remark, Indra's eyes widened in fury.

"What did you just say?! Full power?! You mean you've been foolishly toying with me this whole time?!"

"You call it foolish, I call it risky yet genius."

"How?!"

"Because I wanted to see how strong you really were." Issei answered easily, "That's why I've been letting you attack me from the start. Just to see how far you could go, I put down my defenses on purpose, because I knew I could regenerate anyway."

"Y-you lie!"

"I was counting on the fact that although you possess all these collective powers, you still have no knowledge on how to use them correctly. That and your obsession with defeating Shiva."

"You hold your tongue right now!"

Issei lowered his axe and pointed it towards Indra, who flinched and moved into a defensive position. The axe, burning with the intensity of the Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi, erupted with a vast inferno of flames. The inferno surrounded both Issei and Indra.

The Heavenly Emperor gritted his teeth as parts of his Leviathan suit began to disintegrate into nothingness.

'Impossible!'

Suddenly, seven immense pillars of scorching flames trapped Indra into the caged inferno. The Hindu God gasped in intense pain as the flames overwhelmed him. The suit composed of the Leviathans screeched out in distress, the heat affecting it.

"This cannot be!" Indra roared.

Issei, who was unaffected the scorching pillars of flames that surrounded him, lifted his axe up, and gave Indra a determined look. Indra could tell that the eyes directed towards him held no compassion or mercy.

"_**Destroy Everything...So That Not Even Ashes Will Remain**_!" Issei roared.

Before Indra knew it, the flames consumed his entire body, bringing an entire new level of pain that coursed over his body. The remnants of the Leviathan suit began to tear off, revealing parts of Indra's burnt skin.

Issei narrowed his eyes as he dove towards the scorched Hindu God. He spotted portions of the Leviathans reforming into the black suit. Increasing his speed, Issei shifted into a small energy ball and soared towards the pieces. Coming in contact with the substance, Issei bonded with it, his presence unknown to Indra.

* * *

><p><strong>Within the Leviathan Suit<strong>

The first thing Issei saw was complete darkness. As he held his axe in his hands, he cautiously walked forward, searching for something important. He flared out his solar energy as a light source.

As he walked further, he stopped in his tracks as he detected numerous power levels. He increased the brightness of his solar aura, revealing four familiar entities.

"Bingo." Issei said with a smile.

Vali Lucifer, Sun Wukong, Yoru, and a young woman who Issei didn't recognize, appeared to be unfazed. They were all encased in black pods

_{Albion? Can you hear me?}_

_((I'm right here.))_

_{Not you, dumbass! Your progenitor!}_

_[Ssssstupid Dragonssss...]_

Issei observed the occupants within the Leviathan suit, whilst simultaneously listening to the argument between Ddraig, Albion's clone, and the Orochi. He then looked at his axe, and looked up at the pods, before he donned a knowing smile.

* * *

><p><strong>At the (Former) Tournament<strong>

Indra, who had recovered from the brunt of Issei's massive attack, snarled as he tried to search for the Solar God. He could not sense his energy, which meant energy sensing was useless to him.

He then widened his eyes as he realized something.

"Wait a moment! Why am I searching for Amaterasu's brat?! With him finally out-of-the-way, I can go search for Shiva and destroy him!"

A menacing smile formed on Indra's face, and he began to move away, until something felt wrong.

"Guh?! What's going on?!"

The Leviathan suit abruptly screeched as the black tendrils spazzed around. Indra clasped the suit tightly, wondering what was wrong. The screaming irritated the Heavenly Emperor's ears, and he clutched his ears.

"Cease this whining at on-GYAHHH!" He ordered the Leviathans, before he felt a searing pain.

An axe suddenly shot out from his black-suited chest, and four pods ejected out from the hole. Indra began to hyperventilate as he saw Vali, Sun Wukong, Yoru, and the Alpha-Leviathan. Even though the rest of the Leviathans were still on his person, he still substantially weaker than he was before.

His eyes twitching with irrationality, Indra charged at the pods, until the axe that tore through his stomach began to slide upwards, causing the Leviathans to increase the pitch of their screams.

The axe shot forward, revealing a unharmed Issei, who transmitted away from Indra, and pointed the fused sword back at him.

"It's over Indra." Issei declared.

"No! It isn't! It is not over!"

Ignoring Indra's indignant replies, Issei walked over to the four pods, and shot four energy blasts to all of them. Seconds later, the pods disappeared, leaving Issei to stand against a confused and livid Indra.

"Where did they go?! Where did you send them?!"

"To a place far away, so that not even you could get to them."

"YOU BASTARD!"

The fusion between the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon glowed with immense power. Indra put up a front in defense, trying to appear as though he was unafraid.

"Even though the others are no longer within the suit of the Leviathans, I still have enough power to wipe you out!"

"You're deluding yourself Indra," Issei said as flame-like ribbons of energy spiraled around his body.

Indra hissed in discontent as his body began to emit small flecks of flaming light. The energy of the axe formed around Issei's flaming body, expanding his aura outwardly. Issei then gritted his teeth and sent Indra a glower that succeeded in making the Hindu God falter.

"As I said..." Issei began.

Indra looked up at the Solar God, who stared fiercely at him.

"This is the end...INDRA!" Issei bellowed as he let out a deafening scream.

The Solar God released all of his energy in the form of a vast crimson-black and golden-silver explosion. The energy collapsed onto Indra, dissolving him and the Leviathan creatures. The Heaven of the Hindu mythology crumbled from Issei's final attack, its spaceless area disintegrating into nothingness.

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

The 'Above' Entity widened her eyes a little as she witnessed what had just transpired. Many emotions were running through her consciousness, rendering her the freedom to even act upon a specific emotion.

"_...Little Darling_." The entity uttered its pet name for Issei.

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

"...Darling did it." The female personification of Death cooed, "He actually did it."

Oblivion stared at its sibling, unable to find traces of deceit or mock surprise in its sibling's words.

"So he wasn't just a regular little God after all." The embodiment of Non-Existence admitted quietly, "Nor was he a lower being."

* * *

><p><strong>The Void<strong>

Chaos and Order stood with lowered heads, wondering what to even say to each other. For once, the personification of disarray and confusion did not hold her amused and mischievous smirk.

Looking over to its sibling, Order edged over to Chaos.

"Well...you were granted your wish, sister. The son of Amaterasu succeeded in defeating the Heavenly Emperor."

"Yes," Chaos replied, "But there is something that confuses even myself."

"And what is that?"

"...Issei Hyoudou did it by himself. Without any supernatural influence to assist him."

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Did anyone else feel that?" Leiko asked the others.

"The Gap shaking?" Saji offered.

"Yeah."

"Then yeah, we did."

"Oh no," Amaterasu moaned quietly, "I hope my little Sun is all right."

"Don't worry Ama-chan," Gaia attempted to placate her friend, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"The Earth Goddess is correct," Ophis stated in her monotone voice, "My darling mate will be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Tsubaki asked.

As if on cue, four black pods suddenly manifested in front of the Great Red, who opened his golden eyes in surprise. The Trihexa noticed the pods as well and treaded closer to the fourth. Her crimson eyes then constricted, and she let out a growling hiss that frightened the teenage Devils.

"What's up with 666?" Kiba asked.

"Did it see something irritating?" Xenovia added, with Koneko nodding behind her.

Great Red peered at the pods, and smirked as he looked over to Ophis.

"The kid always comes through for everyone."

"What do you mean?" Rias pushed.

"Just look."

And so the inhabitants of the Dimensional Gap looked over to see Vali, Yoru, Sun Wukong, and the Alpha-Leviathan, who Great Red, Leiko, and the Trihexa had conversed with earlier.

"Well that explains why 666 is so pissed off right now." Great Red deduced.

"Why?' Akeno asked, genuinely wanting to know the reason.

"Because the girl in that pod was trying to go after Ise-itoko." Leiko answered, "And she tried to go after Indra as well."

"Why was she trying to go after my little Sun?" Amaterasu prodded her son's adoptive cousin.

"I think she said something about wanting his Solar Energy."

Serafall rose an eyebrow.

"Why on Earth would she want that from Ise-chan?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Great Red said with a huff, "She wants the Sunny D!"

It was almost instantaneous, but Gabriel, Serafall, and even Gaia sported pink blushes on their cheeks, well aware of Great Red's innuendo.

"That was not funny, Baka-Red." Ophis said with a noticeable jealous frown on her face, which was also a bit pink.

"I don't hear any crickets chirping, Cthulhu." The Apocalypse Dragon quipped.

"A-Aside from all that," Gabriel began, wanting to relieve the awkward silence, "How do we get everyone out of those pods?"

"It's nothing I can't handle." Great Red stated with pride.

"So we solved that problem," Gaia said with a smile, "But what about Ise-chan? Can anyone sense him?"

The Ouroboros Dragon shared a side glance the True Red Dragon God Emperor, and they both smiled at each other.

"As I have said before," Ophis said as her eyes softened, "My precious mate is all right. I can sense his energy."

"Well, why can't we?" Saji said frantically, "I can't sense Newby's energy at all!"

"Of course you can't!" Great Red exclaimed, "Because he's become something similar to Ophis and I."

"Similar?" Amaterasu repeated in confusion.

"That is correct." Ophis replied as her smile grew warm, "My mate has become an aspect of Infinity."

At that remark, Gabriel widened her eyes a little.

"An aspect of Infinity. What type?"

Ophis shared another smile with Great Red.

"That, is a secret only Great Red and I shall keep."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**A little tidbit:**

**Issei told Indra that this battle was the second time he had used his full power.**

**Wanna know why that's wrong?**

**Because Issei only said that to rile up Indra.**

**Issei still had the ability to transform into a Super Solar God. The transformation would have actually augmented his power to a Cosmic level of strength, giving him enough power to eradicate Indra regardless.**

**The reason why he didn't, was because he knew battling Indra in space would have been detrimental. With Yoru absorbed in him, Indra would have been able to absorb the full power of the Moon, which in turn could have disrupted the entire world.**

**So Issei resolved to finish Indra quickly, while trying to save Vali and the others.**

* * *

><p><strong>Regarding Izanami-no-Mikoto...<strong>

**Izanami fused her consciousness, or rather, her will with the supernatural world. Due to this, her spirit has become a literal part of the supernatural world. Hence, most of ****the events that have plagued Issei, are caused by Izanami using the ambiance and power of the supernatural world.**

**Read & Review :)**


	40. Issei vs Indra: The Finale

**Dimensional Gap**

"You guys aren't making any sense," Saji began with a confused look on his face, "How did Newby become a part of Infinity? And if he did, does his whole personality or anything about him change at all?"

"No." Ophis said with an air of finality, "With the exception of his level of strength, my mate's personality or appearance will not change."

"So why can't we sense Ise-itoko's energy?" Leiko asked.

"Excluding Ophis and myself," Great Red started, "The power he possesses is too vast for you guys to sense. Right now, if the kid really wanted to, he would have to lower his power level in order for it to be tracked."

"...So my little Sun really has become powerful." Amaterasu commented.

"Just be lucky that the kid's not here right now." The Apocalypse Dragon said.

"Why?" Rias asked.

"Because his mere presence would destroy the souls that are weaker than him." Ophis answered.

Most of the supernatural beings paled at the remark, until Gaia turned her attention to Amaterasu.

"Ama-chan. Doesn't Ise-chan still have the ability to turn into a Super Solar God?"

Amaterasu blinked at the question.

"Well, yes. He should."

"Wait, he does?!" Saji exclaimed, "Is he in that form right now? It would explain why we can't sense him, right?"

"I...I'm not sure," Amaterasu answered, "I don't believe he is in the form right now. I would know, because he would have to absorb the full power of the Sun into himself. If he had done that, I would have felt it."

"Well, isn't there another way for Ise-chan to become a Super Solar God without using you?" Serafall asked.

"There is," Amaterasu began hesitantly, "Because the Sun is essentially a massive star, my little Sun should be able to absorb a massive star in Space and transform."

"And that would give Newby the ability to transform into a Super Solar God without the actual Sun?" Saji asked.

"Ophis," Gabriel began as she looked to the Ouroboros Dragon, "If Issei were to transform into the final evolution of his solar power, where would that place his strength level?"

"...It would not be exact, but it would be near the level of a vast source of godly solar cosmic power."

"Cosmic?" Serafall repeated in confusion.

"Well Indra's screwed anyway," Great Red deduced, "The only reason the kid would transform into a Super Solar God at all, would be to troll Indra for everything he's done."

* * *

><p><strong>Remains of Svargam<strong>

The remains of the Hindu incarnation of Heaven were shaking in tremors. The entire tournament was destroyed, with no traces left. The lobby, VIP Stateroom, bleachers, and food court were gone. Dust spiraled around everywhere, to the point that not even a tumbleweed could clear it out.

"G-g-guhhh..." A voice groaned out.

A hand shot out of the rubble, its structure covered in a deep black texture. The figure pulled itself forward, and successfully got himself out of his trapped closure. As the man pulled himself up, the black texture that covered his face removed itself, revealing the man as the Heavenly Emperor.

Indra looked around his surroundings, his disbelief and anger showing on his face. In spite of the destruction around him, Indra felt extreme relief course through him. He was still alive, as well as the suit that was made of the Leviathans from Purgatory.

Very slowly, Indra allowed himself a smile.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! That fool! He actually thought he could defeat me?! What a naïve child!"

His boisterous laughter echoed throughout the world of Svargam. Suddenly, the Leviathan suit screeched out in derision. Indra gritted his teeth as he spotted one of the black tendrils shooting out of the suit.

"Silence!" Indra bellowed, "You serve as MY power, and you will do what I say!"

_**RELEASE US THIS INSTANT!**_

The Leviathans continued to scream in insanity, their accumulated hatred of Indra causing the suit to spasm out of control. Narrowing his eyes, Indra willed himself to not lose control of his dominance.

"Cease this insubordination at once!" He roared, prompting the Leviathans to pause in their antics.

"They don't want you, Indra."

Indra widened his eyes and turned his head. His eyes widened into constricted pricks as he spotted the person who had called his name. Immediately, he was suddenly blasted away from the vast pressure of scorching flames sent his way. The Leviathans hissed in pain and slight fear from the powerful fire.

Recovering, Indra gathered his balance, and he held in a gasp.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Ugh..."

At the sound of the tired voice, the inhabitants of the Dimensional Gap turned to look at a conscious Vali Lucifer. During the entire conversation, Great Red resolved to free the others from the pods. Yoru, Sun Wukong, and the Alpha-Leviathan were still unconscious, with Vali being the exception.

"Vanishing Dragon," Great Red greeted, "It's about time you woke up."

"What the hell happened?" Vali muttered as he clutched his head.

"The Heavenly Emperor absorbed you into his essence, allowing him to use your power." Ophis explained.

Vali grimaced at the information and looked over to see Yoru, Sun Wukong, and some other creature that he wasn't even familiar with.

"I take it that Indra absorbed these three." The host of Albion began, before his eyes widened, "Wait. Where's Hyoudou?"

"My mate is currently at Svargam, fighting against Indra." The Ouroboros Dragon answered.

"What? Then I'll go help-"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Vali Lucifer," Gaia interrupted, "If you did that, then Issei saving you and the others would be all for naught."

Vali widened his eyes a little at Gaia's comment.

"Hyoudou saved me?"

"Yeah," Saji said, "Newby's the one that brought you guys here in the first place."

(...Does this mean I owe the host of Ddraig yet ag_ain_?!)

"Ku ku ku ku. That's right, Vanishing Dragon." Great Red chuckled in amusement.

* * *

><p><strong>Remains of Svargam<strong>

"Son of Amaterasu!"

Issei stood far away from the Heavenly Emperor, dressed in a different attire than his normal clothing. He was now dressed in a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat that closed at his chest and billowed out from behind him. There was also a deep black glove that covered Issei's right hand.

The Solar God's skin tone was darker; with his reddish-purple hair lifting up slightly. His eyes were sharper, and his blazing aura was more explosive.

Indra felt his throat constrict as he struggled to endure the blazing firestorm. He looked up to see the landscape scorching completely. The Heavenly Emperor grabbed his throat, trying to find the will to breathe. The moisture in Svargam was starting to deplete. He then covered his face with the Leviathan suit, allowing him the privilege of oxygen.

The Hindu God snarled as he deduced that the blazing firestorm had enveloped Issei entirely. The aura spread out ferociously, the sight of it enough to frighten the Leviathans and even Indra himself. He then widened his eyes further as he realized something strange.

'His energy! I can't sense it! How is this possible?!'

The Heavenly Emperor looked up and twitched as he spotted the gigantic halbard-like axe clasped in Issei's gloved hand. The axe was burning with intensity from the energies of the Welsh Dragon, the Vanishing Dragon, and the Yamata-no-Orochi. The Vanishing Kusanagi was covered in the blazing flames as well.

"How can you still be alive?!" Indra shouted, "You blew yourself up! I saw you! I know you did!"

"..."

Issei, in his Super Solar God transformation, lifted the Vanishing Kusanagi and lowered it in front of him. The energy around the axe swelled with tremendous ferocity, causing it to burst with force. Ten pillars of colossal flames surrounded around Issei and covered the Vanishing Kusanagi. Issei then positioned himself, and slammed the front of the axe into the ground, causing it to crack from beneath him.

"You fool! What are you doing?!" Indra screamed.

Issei didn't respond, choosing to remain quiet and let the flames surround his body. From above him, thousands of gigantic yellow-orange, sun-looking energy spheres manifested. Indra widened his eyes in horror as the size of the spheres increased. The radiation of solar energy started to irritate the Leviathans, who reacted by screeching.

"It can't be!" Indra exclaimed in disbelief, "You were dead!"

In an instant, the energy spheres combined and formed into a massive bomb of Solar Energy that brightened the sky of Svargam. The Vanishing Kusanagi dissolved into a pool of energy, allowing Issei to absorb it into his body. With a twitch of his finger, the vast Solar Bomb shot towards Indra rapidly.

"GAHHHHHHH!"

The Solar Bomb collided with the black-suited Heavenly Emperor. He screamed in intense pain as the pressure of the Leviathan suit peeled off him, causing him great agony. The Leviathans squealed in anguish and happiness. In a way, it was a bittersweet moment for them.

Although the lethal aura of Issei's combined Solar Energy was causing them discomfort, the fact that they were in the motion of finally separating from Indra, imbued an aching bliss within them.

In an attempt to regain his dominance, Indra moved his hands up to the Solar Bomb, ignoring the seething torture. The pieces of the Leviathan suit began to disintegrate, leaving an opening to attack the Hindu God Indra.

"NO! NO!"

As he watched Indra struggle, Issei levitated up into the air, and enclosed himself into an orange-yellow shield of solar energy. The transformed Solar God charged a large sphere of solar power that derived from his shield, and condensed it.

Svargam started to collapse around Indra and Issei. As the Solar Bomb enveloped the Hindu God, Issei thrust his arm forward, shooting the condensed energy sphere into the massive Solar Bomb.

"T-THIS CAN'T BE!" Indra shrieked.

The energy sphere came in contact with the bomb, causing it to expand in size. Indra felt himself drowning in the vast poisonous aura of solar energy. Without the Leviathan suit to protect him, Indra's skin burned with the caustic effect of the Solar Bomb.

_And soon after..._

_What remained of Indra, was complete nothingness. Not even ashes...remained._

* * *

><p>The thousands of Leviathans that had once formed the suit, slithered all around the remains of Svargam. The Leviathans shared a mutual happiness of being separated from the Heavenly Emperor, but that happiness soon dissolved into fear.<p>

Without their leader to guide them, their sanity was slowing starting to fade. All this time, the Alpha-Leviathan had watched over them, but now they had no idea where their leader was.

They had been tricked into following the humans from the Hero Faction, and then drained of their power by Indra. As a result, they were left extremely weakened. To the point that a portion of them were beginning to grow hungry.

One Leviathan opened its mouth, revealing sharp and powerful jaws. The Leviathan next to it shrieked as it was consumed by the other. Moments later, the number of Leviathans decreased as they swallowed each other whole.

One by one, each Leviathan devoured the other, eventually leaving only one member left to live.

"Hey look, there's one left!" A voice rang out.

The remaining Leviathan turned to see the members of the Hero Faction; Cao Cao, Jeanne, Georg, Heracles, and Leonardo. Cao Cao, holding the powerful True Longinus, looked around the empty surroundings.

"It's a good thing we arrived here just on time. If we had stayed here, then Issei Hyoudou's attack would have destroyed all of us."

"So that weak God did all of this, huh?" Heracles commented.

"He's _more_ than just a God, Heracles," Georg explained, "He's something entirely different now."

"Hmm..." Jeanne hummed, "So Lord Indra is gone now?"

"Good riddance," Cao Cao cursed the Hindu God, "I was starting to think he was growing insane from his obsession with Shiva."

"Let's just get this Leviathan before something else happens." Georg muttered.

"Leonardo," Heracles began, "Go ahead and summon a Jabberwocky."

Leonardo gave no facial reaction, but complied as a large Jabberwocky manifested behind him. In front of the Jabberwocky, were several small copies of itself.

The Leviathan slithered back in fear and anger of the monster who had tricked it and its former members. Due to its weakened state and lack of leadership, the Leviathan knew that it stood no chance against the Jabberwocky.

"Come on already!" Heracles ordered.

Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning, bringing forth a blinding light. The Hero Faction covered their eyes to shield their sight. Seconds later, Cao Cao uncovered his eyes, and then he widened them.

"What on Earth..."

The collection of Jabberwocky that Leonardo had summoned, were now cut in half. Their upper halves slid onto the ground, which cracked underneath. Jeanna, Heracles, and Georg gasped in surprise.

"Who did that?!" Jeanne exclaimed.

"Cao Cao...it's been a while."

Hearing his name, Cao Cao looked up, and his eyes widened further in response. In his Super Solar God transformation, floated Issei, with the Vanishing Kusanagi axe clasped in his gloved right hand. The wielder of the True Longinus was struggling to understand something.

'Issei Hyoudou. Why can't I sense your energy?'

Issei lowered down to the ground in front of the Leviathan, who was shaking until it recognized the young man.

It took sight of his determined and calm facial features. As the Leviathan stared at Issei, a surge in its genetic memory began to spiral.

Its leader had mentioned something about the God who possessed solar energy. Was this the boy? Was he the reason why the Alpha-Leviathan had taken on a female form on its own accord? All in all, the Leviathan was starting to feel strange.

The Solar God had saved the rest of the Leviathans from Indra's wrath. The Heavenly Emperor abused their immense power, using it for his selfish purposes. However, Issei Hyoudou had separated the 'black costume' from the Hindu God, granting the Leviathans freedom.

The remaining Leviathan, in the midst of its trailing thoughts, began to slither towards Issei.

'He...is protecting me. Why does he choose to do this? Has he not witnessed me consuming the other Leviathans?'

The creature didn't know what it was feeling at the moment. It still didn't even know if the boy was the ticket to its safety.

Raising an eyebrow, Cao Cao placed the True Longinus on his shoulder.

"It has been a long time, Issei Hyoudou. I thought you wanted to get away from the supernatural."

"...Are you calling me a liar, Cao Cao?" Issei asked, prompting Cao Cao to smile slightly.

"I ain't calling you a truther."

Issei lifted his axe up in the air, and set his sights to Heracles, who struggled to keep his composure. The descendant of Hercules was trying to ignore the flow of Issei's immense power. He felt that if he went any closer, his life would have come to an end.

"There's no point in using the last Leviathan," Issei said as he looked back to Cao Cao, "I know that you guys don't have any vendetta against Shiva."

"That's true." Georg agreed.

The ground of Svargam shook as though it were shivering, prompting the Hero Faction to look down in surprise.

"This place is about to blow," Issei began, "So I suggest you guys get out of here before you get caught up in the mess."

"T-That sounds like a good idea," Jeanne stuttered, "But what about you?"

"...I'll be just fine."

Cao Cao nodded and motioned to Georg, who used his magic to manifest a teleporting circle. The wielder of the True Longinus walked onto the circle, and looked over to Issei.

"We'll see each other again, Issei Hyoudou."

Issei made no movement as he looked at the Hero Faction, standing still with his explosive aura. As he watched them disappear, Issei looked up at the sky, and his eyes softened at the image of his grandmother.

Izanami-no-Mikoto gazed at Issei with an unreadable look on her face. Her eyes no longer shed tears, but they said it all.

No words were exchanged between the supernatural and Issei, the looks on their faces enough for them to communicate.

Very slowly, Izanami's eyes wetted with tears, but no sounds uttered out of her mouth. She reached her arms out and placed her hands on Issei's cheeks, caressing his skin. Her eyes seemed to soften considerably.

_...I'm sorry_.

Issei blinked several times at his grandmother's words. The tears flowed down from Izanami's face, but her expression never changed.

_I'm so sorry. My little grandson_.

And then...the image of Izanami-no-Mikoto faded away. Issei inwardly sighed as he lost the feeling of his grandmother's caresses.

"You...are the kind one." A distorted voice from behind him commented.

Issei turned around to find the source of the voice, and he ignored the urge to palm his face.

{...Partner, are you really surprised that this is happening? You _did_ save those Leviathans.}

'...'

Similar to its leader's choice, the remaining Leviathan had taken on a female form, acquiring rising feelings for the Solar God. Like its leader, it had taken the form of a tall curvaceous woman with long black hair, long legs, wide hips, and a narrow waist. The noticeable difference the Leviathan carried, aside from the lack of horns, was that its eyes were a dark burgundy red, and that it possessed long, pronounced tear-troughs under its eyes.

All in all, it had the appearance of a normal tall and well-endowed young woman, ignoring the tear-troughs under its eyes.

{Man, partner. How many beings do you have in your 'Unwanted' Harem now?}

Issei ignored the Welsh Dragon's question, holding back the urge to tell him that he didn't want to think about it. As he stood where he was, he watched the Leviathan walk towards him. He then rose an eyebrow as he noticed something strange.

"Where are the other Leviathans?" He asked curiously, "I could have sworn there was more than one."

The Leviathan stopped in its walk and avoided looking at Issei. The Solar God blinked in confusion as he noticed that the transformed creature appeared as though 'she' was ashamed of something.

"Our strength was drained from Indra. And we Leviathans suffer with constant hunger. So...when we were released from the Hindu Deity's rule...we gave in to our cannibalistic urges."

{...Damn.}

((Even I can't make light of that.))

Issei ignored Ddraig's and the clone of Albion's comments, and looked up at the Leviathan, noticing that she was taller than him.

"So aside from your leader," Issei began, "You're the only one left?"

"Yes." She replied.

'Perfect...'

Issei resisted the urge to sigh and palm his face, until the Leviathan walked closer.

"You...are a kind one." She repeated, prompting Issei to raise an eyebrow.

"The kind one?"

"Yes," She said as she drew closer to him, "You released Indra's control on us. You freed us from his rule. We suffered as he exploited our power, but you stopped him."

Issei crossed his arms as he listened to the Leviathan's words. The shaking of Svargam brought him out of his musings, and he looked around his surroundings. Narrowing his eyes, Issei locked eyes with the Leviathans and nodded to her.

"Grab onto my shoulder. The place we're going to is where your leader is."

The Leviathan widened its burgundy eyes in response. Before it could move however, a massive surge of energy brought it out of its surprise. Issei noticed the energy signature, and turned to look at the source. He blinked at the mysterious being in front of him.

It was a three-eyed man with a crescent moon symbol on his forehead. Serpents crawled around his neck as an ornament, and a skull necklace glowed on his chest. The man was clad in tiger skin, with a scepter behind.

"It would seem that Indra's eagerness to fight me...might have cost him his life." The man deduced.

Issei widened his eyes at the man's voice.

'He mentioned Indra! So this must be-'

"I can honestly say it's nice to finally meet you, Issei Hyoudou," The man greeted in a proud yet formal voice, "I am Shiva, the God of Destruction."

**Read & Review**


	41. Meeting with Shiva

**Shiva,** the Hindu God of Destruction gave a polite smile to the son of Amaterasu, who stared back. Truth be told, the God was nowhere near the tournament Indra had conjured up. He in no way cared about the Heavenly Emperor on a personal level, seeing as the latter shared a one-sided rivalry with him. But Shiva couldn't care less.

As the Supreme Hindu God gazed at Issei, his wise eyes trailed over to the Leviathan behind him. He lifted up his index finger, and sent a beam of energy towards her.

"?!" The Leviathan gasped in surprise, prompting Issei to widen his eyes.

"What are you-"

"Calm yourself, son of Amaterasu. I am not harming her."

Issei blinked at Shiva's words, and turned to look at the Leviathan, whose body began to glow.

The Solar God watched as the Leviathan's black hair changed to a light silvery-white color, and her burgundy eyes brightened to a sapphire pigment. The light that surrounded the creature burst into a great release of energy.

Issei and Shiva watched as the bright light illuminated throughout the area of Svargam. While Issei stood with a confused look on his face, Shiva sat with a peaceful look on his face. As the light faded, all that remained was the newly transformed Leviathan.

Floating in front of Issei, was a very beautiful well-endowed sapphire-eyed silver-haired girl with a huge bust and curvaceous figure. Blinking several times in confusion, Issei looked back at Shiva.

"What did you do?"

"…You can sense energy, can you not?" Shiva asked.

Issei turned to look at the Leviathan, and closed his eyes as he tried to sense the Leviathans' energy signature. He opened his eyes abruptly as he sensed something strange about the creature.

"Her energy. It's…pure."

"Precisely," Shiva answered, "Now that the process is out-of-the-way, I must speak with you, Issei Hyoudou."

"You want to talk to me? About what?"

"…About your power."

Issei immediately got on the defensive. He wanted to be careful this time, seeing as Shiva was the **God of Destruction**. Even when Indra had absorbed Vali, Yoru, Sun Wukong, and the other Leviathans, Issei had a feeling that Shiva still could've defeated the Heavenly Emperor with ease.

Setting his sight to the unconscious Leviathan, Shiva sent another beam of energy towards her, causing her to transmit away. Issei noticed the change, and prepared himself. Smiling with a serene air, Shiva transmitted away, and reappeared in front of Issei.

"…You are very interesting, Issei Hyoudou." He commented, "Out of all the Gods I have come in contact with, you are certainly unique. Though something does puzzle me."

Issei remained in his defensive position, allowing Shiva to continue his conversation.

"I'm aware of the powers of the Two Heavenly Dragons, as well as the Yamata-no-Orochi. I'm very much aware of that. However…what is the source of your Solar Powers?"

"…What?"

"I am aware that you were originally born from Amaterasu's flesh and the massive energies from the Sun. Then your body was remade by the Ouroboros Dragon and the Apocalypse Dragon, a greater advantage than your original body."

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying that I would like to see the source of your Solar Powers. And I plan to do that right now."

Before Issei could respond, Shiva suddenly shot his own hand forward into Issei's chest, causing the Solar God to grunt in surprise. Immediately after, a vast sphere of Solar Energy covered both Issei and Shiva, creating another flash of light.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Soul Room<strong>

Issei opened his eyes slowly, and the first sight was the eyes of Shiva looking above him. Widening his eyes, Issei stood up from his spot and held the Vanishing Kusanagi in front of him. Shiva didn't react, choosing to maintain his smile.

"Now, now, son of Amaterasu. I did not intend to cause you any discomfort. I was merely conducting a little experiment."

"…"

"Take a look at your soul room."

Keeping his grip on the Vanishing Kusanagi, Issei looked around as Shiva suggested, and he widened his eyes further in shock.

The Solar God's soul room was known for being extremely pitch-black. The darkness that surrounded the soul room represented the manifestation of his anger and solar powers. But now, it was just as bright as his inner world.

"It's…bright."

"Yes, it is."

Suddenly, a pool of Solar Energy appeared in front of Issei. Shiva sported a calm look as the energy formed into an all-white version of Issei with black pupils and dark-golden eyes. Compared to Issei's black outfit, the other Issei wore a white version, with another version of the Vanishing Kusanagi in his hand.

Turning around to face Issei, the manifestation of Issei's anger and solar powers sent him a smirk.

"So you finally met Shiva, huh?" Hissei asked, "You're sure famous around these parts, aren't you _yadonushi no jinkaku_?"

"Host personality?" Shiva asked, "So it is true. Very interesting. The witness of the soul room of a Solar God. And the other Issei Hyoudou who inhabits it."

Hissei sent his smirk over to the God of Destruction, who smiled back.

"Compared to the Welsh Dragon, the Vanishing Dragon, and the Yamata-no-Orochi, you actually_are_ a part of Issei."

"That's right," Hissei answered as he tightened his hand into a fist, "I am the dark, fury, hatred, and sadness deep within his heart."

"And the process of you becoming the manifestation of Issei's Solar Powers is interesting as well."

"Humph. What's got you so interested in Issei of all people anyway? He's not interesting at all, and he barely even compares to me."

Issei didn't let Hissei's words bother him, because he knew what to expect from his inner self.

"However," Hissei began, "You seem to be curious about us both, right?"

Shiva's facial expression never changed as he moved his sights to Issei.

"Son of Amaterasu. Do you remember the first time your solar powers manifested?"

Issei lowered his head as he tried to think. His mind traced back to when he was six years old.

"I…was at elementary school. It was almost time for me to go home. I was sitting on the bench, and these guys came over to me…and tried to start a fight with me."

Shiva and Hissei stared at Issei, with the latter donning a serious face for the first time.

"When one of them was about to bash me on the head…I felt power flow through me. I remember being angry with those guys, and that's when I felt it."

"…Intriguing." Shiva said, "It all makes sense now."

"What makes sense?" Issei asked.

"The darkness and rage within you fused with your Solar Powers, which led to him becoming the source of your inner strength."

"But if that's true," Issei began as he locked eyes with Hissei, "Then, why didn't you ever manifest all those years ago?"

"Isn't it obvious, _yadonushi no jinkaku_?" Hissei asked, "You kept suppressing all of your anger, which was very dumb of you. The more you continued to hold in your rage, the more powerful I became. But, in the process I also became insane. So, _yadonushi no jinkaku_, you owed me your sanity from the very beginning."

"...I never knew," Issei admitted, "When I transformed into that berserker in Shinigami-san's Domain, I was locked away somewhere, unable to move my body."

"Damn right you weren't," Hissei said with a glare, "Because that was the first time I was in control. And since you tried to suppress your anger, I was rendered insane."

"…That was you?"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Issei! Yes, it was me!"

"And the Grim Reaper incarnation of myself?"

"…The one that you destroyed in Tokyo. That was me as well. But it wasn't you that made me insane that time. It was that damn scythe from Hades."

"I destroyed you though."

"Yeah, and you almost died because you were getting weak without me. We're both lucky that Ophis and Great Red saved our asses and made our new body."

"…Do you resent me? For doing that?"

Hissei stared at his host personality and sighed in annoyance.

"No, dumbass. I don't hate you. You did what you had to do to save the people of Tokyo."

Shiva looked at Issei and his inner anger, and maintained his silence.

Hissei then tossed a nonchalant hand in the air, his face reverting to his usual smirk.

"All right, enough of this sentimental shit. I don't want us to be getting all mushy."

He and his host personality then turned to look at Shiva.

"So what are you doing here?"

"As I have told Issei, I wanted to see who and what the source of his inner power was. And I believe my curiosity has been sated."

"…So, we're done here," Hissei guessed, "Then I'm done talking with the both of you."

The area began to dissolve around Issei's soul room. Issei widened his eyes as he spotted Hissei and Shiva fading away as well.

"What's happening?!"

"Hell if I know, _yadonushi no jinkaku_."

"Ah, I anticipated this," Shiva began with a calm air about him, "We will talk again soon, Issei Hyoudou. I will meet you back at Svargam."

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"K-keh! Damn it all!"

The inhabitants of the Dimensional Gap turned at the sound of the voice. The Devils immediately moved into a defense stances, while the rest stood still.

Yoru clutched his head as he grunted in pain. Opening his black eyes, his tired expression immediately darkened into an irritated look.

"What the hell happened to me?"

Nobody opted to answer him, with the exception of both Vali and Saji.

"Hyoudou saved all of us from Indra's absorption, so calm down." Vali stated.

At that remark, Yoru widened his eyes in puzzlement.

"What?!"

"Yeah!" Saji shouted, "Newby saved you, Vali, and the others! So if you're planning to kill him, you can't now, because you owe him!"

"Guh?!" Yoru gritted his teeth as his eyes twitched.

"T-that can't be!"

"Believe it, son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto." Great Red said.

"My mate did save you." Ophis pointed out, "It is not a lie."

"But why?! Why the hell would he do something like that?! He hates me!"

"Well it's not like you ever gave him a reason to like you," Vali quipped, "I'm still surprised he saved you at all."

The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto suppressed a throaty growl in his confusion.

'Why the hell did he save me?! We're supposed to be enemies because of our parents!'

Suddenly, a manifestation of energy appeared next to the unconscious Alpha-Leviathan. The energy then formed into a silver-haired young woman with bright sapphire eyes.

She then widened her eyes when she spotted her leader.

"Leader!" She shouted as she peered over the Alpha.

"Is she a Leviathan too?" Leiko asked.

"Leader…and servant." The Trihexa uttered out, tilting her head.

"So the kid saved another one huh?" Great Red commented, "Man, his Unwanted Harem keeps growing."

"Shut up, Baka-Red/Red." Ophis and Leiko said simultaneously.

"Unwanted Harem?" Amaterasu asked, "What do you mean?"

Leiko widened her eyes as she locked eyes with the Great Red.

"See what you did?"

"What? I don't see anything wrong."

"What is this 'Unwanted Harem', and how does it involve my little Sun?" Amaterasu said, her solar flares glowing dangerously.

"Baka-Red," Ophis started with a glare, "I, am going to hurt you."

"As if you could, Cthulhu."

"Look, would everyone just keep quiet?" Vali shouted, "Let's just wait for Sun Wukong and the Alpha-Leviathan to wake up."

* * *

><p><strong>Yomi<strong>

Issei narrowed his eyes as he found himself in a familiar area. The darkness around him was a bit lighter compared to his soul room, but he recognized the realm of Yomi perfectly.

The realm where he followed his grandfather.

The Solar God walked further into the shadows, until he sensed a massive surge of corrupted energy. His eyes softening, Issei looked up and he stood straight.

Sitting on top on a pile of skeletons and maggots, was a woman who clearly had seen better days. Large snakes with sharp piercing fangs coiled behind her, with one spiraling around her arm. Her black hair lay against her pale-white skin. Her eye sockets, empty and sunken, were narrowed and melancholic.

Issei's eyes softened as he spotted the blood spots on the woman's white robe. His hearing detected faint sobbing from above, and he lowered his head as a surge of nervousness overwhelmed him.

Taking a deep breath, Issei looked up and uttered only one word, knowing that the pale woman would respond to him.

"Grandma."

The woman widened her eye sockets at the sound of the voice, and she slowly moved her head down. She adopted a pained and saddened expression that made Issei shiver in his spot. The snakes that coiled around her hissed at the Solar God.

As she looked at Issei, tears grazed down onto the woman's face. She found it hard to contain her breathing as her emotions rushed through her.

"Issei…"

The son of Amaterasu nodded to her, prompting even more tears to fall.

"My little grandson." Izanami-no-Mikoto uttered, her voice laced with sadness.


	42. Izanami-no-Mikoto

Out of all the supernatural entities and beings Issei had encountered, the chills that Izanami brought forth paled in comparison to the rest. In spite of her power being lower than Ophis and Great Red's strength, the force of Izanami still presented itself as an ominous tremor.

The eyeless sockets that bored into Issei's soul would have brought him nightmares if he was a child. Her black hair, which was just as dark as Amaterasu's, practically sunk against her skin. The robe she wore, doused with constant droplets of blood, clung to her pale-white skin.

Issei could hear the trembling sobs of his grandmother, her emotions clouded and twisted. It was bitter to say the least. The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death crying in front of him. But the Solar God didn't feel any satisfaction at Izanami's whimpering. He didn't even know what to feel. What could he say?

The woman sitting on the pillar of skeletons was responsible for the events that he had been forced into.

Everything.

However…

He didn't know what to say to her. He had just called her what she could never be to him. The name that Izanagi had took away from her ever since he sealed her in the depths of Yomi.

"…Grandma."

Izanami flinched at the sound of Issei's voice. The Solar God's voice was very soft, almost gentle. She felt her heart flutter, and yet at the same time, her blood boiled tremendously.

'H-how dare he…!'

How dare that little worm continue to mock her? Calling her something she could never be to him. She wasn't his grandmother, so why would he call her that? As much as it sickened her to remind herself, the young boy was _Izanagi's_ grandson.

Not hers.

That tormenting fact made her blood boil even more. She clenched her fists tightly, corrupted blood seeping out through her pale skin. Her teeth gritted noisily, her body near seconds into assaulting the young Solar God.

"I saw everything, Grandma. I saw everything that happened to you.""

Issei's quiet voice brought Izanami out of her musings, and the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death looked down at him. Very slowly, a seething anger took over her.

"DO NOT TALK AS THOUGH YOU UNDERSTAND, YOU FOOLISH BOY!"

Izanami's screaming words echoed throughout the darkness of Yomi, bringing more chills to Issei. The Solar God could hear the Shinto Goddesses' voice growing raspier and hoarser with each breath she took. He looked up at his grandmother and his eyes softened, causing Izanami to scowl deeply at him.

"I never said I understood," Issei stated, "I only told you I saw everything."

She continued to stare at the son of Amaterasu with trembling eyes.

Issei lowered his eyes as he looked away from Izanami.

"I also saw what Izanagi did to you, and what he did to…Uncle Kagutsuchi." He stated quietly.

At that moment, an immensely powerful force shoved Issei backward, causing him to crash into a pile of skeletons and their remains of rotten flesh. As Issei started to look up, Izanami appeared in front of him and wrapped her hands around his neck. She used her right hand to grab onto Issei's right eye and wrenched it out.

"DON'T YOU EVER MENTION HIS NAME AGAIN!"

{Partner!}

[Issssei!]

((Kid?!))

Issei almost lost his focus from hearing the distressed cries of Ddraig, the Yamata-no-Orochi, and Albion's clone. Through sheer will, he restrained the urge to scream out in pain. He only looked into the twisted eyes of Izanami-no-Mikoto, who was holding his eye tightly, as though the surface of it was about to break.

With his free hand, Issei placed it over his right eye, trying to stop it from bleeding. He gritted his teeth at the intense pain, and tried to maintain his focus.

"Does it hurt?" Izanami asked in mocking concern, "Answer me, my adorable 'grandson'! Does it hurt?!"

Izanami maintained her pressure on Issei's throat, preventing him from answering her. Although at this point, the Solar God didn't want to answer her anyway. Narrowing his eye, Issei suddenly disappeared from Izanami's sight, causing the Goddess to widen her eye sockets in surprise.

"What?!"

The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death looked around frantically, trying to search for Issei. In her midst of confusion and anger, she tightened her grip around Issei's right eye, crushing it into bloody fluids. She let out a feral snarl of irritation.

"Come out this instant! Don't you dare hide from me!"

This was it. It was happening all over again. She would be all alone. Just how she was, all those years ago. The thought it happening again…

Izanami's snarl began to soften into bitter sniffles, until she released a howl of sadness and fury. She hated it. She hated all of it. She wanted to destroy everything around her, until nothing was left.

"CURSE YOU, IZANAGI!"

She continued to curse her former husband, the sheer fact of knowing that he would never respond to her, and that he was already gone, clouding whatever sanity she had. In her mind, Izanagi-no-Mikoto had the privilege to live his life unpunished, while she; Izanami-no-Mikoto had to suffer.

_Why…_

The creatures of Yomi slithered towards their ruler, concern overtaking their primal instincts. They could sense their leader's conflicting thoughts. Izanami suppressed another sob and glared at the creatures.

"Why?" She repeated quietly, "Why?!"

Several of the creatures crawled away from the angered Goddess, while some of them remained in their spots. Izanami's glare deepened before she turned around.

"U-ugh…"

The Shinto Goddess gasped lightly, before she turned around again to see the Solar God trying to catch his breath. His right arm covered his right eye, trying to stop the bleeding from pouring down to his face. He locked his left eye with Izanami, his breathing slowing.

The former wife of Izanagi clenched her fists as she gritted her teeth.

"Why am I not surprised? You annoying little runt."

Issei didn't respond, not having enough breath to talk back. He settled for looking around the depths of Yomi, ignoring how symbolic Izanami was to the Shinto Underworld.

"Your bastard of a grandfather did this to me." She muttered quietly, "But of course you already knew that, didn't you?"

"…"

"You saw everything. You saw what he did to me. What he did to our last child together. Killing him after I passed away."

More tears flowed from Izanami's cheeks, but her sobbing didn't betray her emotions. Not in the slightest.

"Then he had the nerve to _purify_ himself from _my_ touch. From that process, Amaterasu Ōmikami, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto and TakehayaSusanoo-no-Mikoto were born. The nerve of that wretch! Bringing forth the lives of children without me. And then…"

Issei heard Izanami's voice trail off, but he remained where he was.

"Your blasted mother…" Izanami's sobbing tumbled to snarls, "She birthed you from her flesh and the Sun itself! She…SHE SHOULD HAVE NEVER DONE THAT!"

The creatures of Yomi hissed towards the injured Issei. They formed a symmetrical bridge from under Izanami, allowing her to float towards the Solar God.

Her expression suddenly changed, and if Issei hadn't been the victim of what she had just done to him, he would have assumed her to be a sad and bitter woman.

"My little Issei," She muttered dreamily, "A descendant of that spineless Izanagi. It pains me so much."

She edged towards Issei and lifted her hands up. Izanami had to give Issei credit for not flinching or floating back away from her. Issei felt another chill up his spine as Izanami placed her cold hands on his cheeks.

"They all tried to take you away from me. Did you know that?"

"…"

Only Issei's breathing was his response. Izanami's grip tightened around the Solar God's cheeks, drawing blood.

"First, Amaterasu sends you to where those foolish mortals dwell upon, so that I couldn't get to you. But she was wrong. Even if she sent you away from your original home, not even that would deter me. So do you know what I did?"

"…"

"I used the nature of the supernatural to allow your power to be sensed. Then I manipulated the feelings of that Phenex Creature in order to kidnap that mortal you refer to as your adoptive cousin. However, that backfired with you destroying him, releasing my hold on him."

Issei only stared back at her, the memory of his first contact with the supernatural coming back to him in the form of a slap to the face.

"Do you know what I did next? I influenced Susanoo's nature and heightened his hatred towards Amaterasu to you. It wasn't difficult, as his hatred towards his sister was antagonistic at the start. Although the desire for the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was entirely his goal. I just needed him to kill you, so I could summon you here."

The image of Susanoo-no-Mikoto bore itself into Issei's mind, his maniacal laughter echoing in his head.

"And lastly, my little 'grandson', "The last person I manipulated was Rizevim Livan Lucifer."

This time, Issei widened his left eye in surprise. He didn't expect that name to come out of Izanami's mouth.

'Vali's grandfather? How does she know him?'

"Tell me, little Issei," Izanami began with a twisted air in her voice, "Do you remember what I proclaimed to your contemptible grandfather?"

His left eye widened further, the power of Izanami suffocating Issei until he found it hard to breathe.

_"Heed my words, Izanagi. If you leave me, then I shall destroy one thousand residents of the living forever!"_

The look on Issei's face supplied the necessary response to Izanami, who slowly revealed a horrifying glower.

"Do you also remember what the son of Lucifer told you six months ago?"

Issei narrowed his left eye as his hearing remembered, picking up the voice of Rizevim.

_A certain truth was brought to our "world". –The "other world" that "we" didn't know about. Did you know that it's an unknown God that has nothing to do with all the mythologies of this "world"? It's not from the Bible, it's not from the Norse mythology, it's not from Hindu mythology, and it's not from Japanese mythology. So a God who we don't even know about and that comes from a world we don't even have a clue about, came in contact with this world._

"But…" Issei trailed off before starting again, "Rizevim said that the God who told him wasn't from Japanese Mythology. It couldn't have been you, Grandma."

Izanami's hands were around Issei's throat by the time he uttered the word that caused her great mockery and pain.

"You foolish little boy," She hissed, "That Lucifer rat was lying to you, taking the credit! Once again, taking his own path instead of listening to the whispers that his ears heard!"

Issei shook as Izanami continued to close his throat.

"_I_ told that fool about how to unseal the Trihexa! So that those mortals Izanagi swore to bring fifteen hundred to life, would perish along with the world, taking _you_ with it! But once again, fate has eluded you from the depths of Yomi!"

As Issei looked into his grandmother's eye sockets, he now realized that she was no longer sane. Suddenly, Izanami's grip of Issei's throat lessened, and the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death lowered her head down, her hair covering her face.

Very faintly, Issei's ears once again picked up the sound of soft whimpering. Izanami dropped down and covered her face with her hands, releasing Issei from her grasp. In spite of what transpired, the Solar God stood where he was.

"It's all his fault," Izanami muttered as she removed her hands from her face, "All of it. If he had just listened to me! I wouldn't be here…stuck forever within Yomi. We would have started ov..."

Izanami's quiet sobs seemed to darken the environment of Yomi, with the skeletons forming into dust particles.

"Birthing three children without me was cruel," She began before more tears wetted from her eyes, "But for having a boy who refers to me as his grandmother, when it is certainly not true…"

The son of Amaterasu gazed at the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death, his face set into a calm look. The supernatural had tortured him many times, harboring her obsession due to a past feud between her and Izanagi.

But now…

Issei removed his hand from his right eye, aware that the blood had stopped flowing. He watched Izanami's body shake with anguish and bitterness, and felt uneasiness seep into his soul.

'Grandpa…' Issei thought as he lowered his head, 'If only you could see what you've done to her. To Grandma.'

**Read & Review :)**


	43. Issei vs Izanami

**Omniverse**

"_Foolish little darling…_"

The 'Above' Entity's eyes widened slightly as she covered her mouth. She hadn't intended to say that out loud. That had never happened to her, and it brought a feeling of shock to her consciousness.

Ever since the creation of the Omniverse, the 'Above' Entity was known for being the coldest and most apathetic being in existence. It would only say what was required and nothing more. It neither cared nor worried about the events that had nothing to do with itself.

Was this the feeling of acquiring emotions?

The entity disliked it when the feelings known as 'emotions' manifested in its consciousness, but at the same time, welcomed them. It was something that it struggled to understand the more time it interacted or thought about Issei.

"_Issei_…" The 'Above' began, her tone wavering with an emotional echo, "_Why must you make me adore you and worry for you? You imbue me with so many emotions, and yet you do not even try to do so."_

"Perhaps it is in Darling's nature, our dear Creator."

Almost immediately, the 'Above' Entity's emotional expression hardened to its deadpan look, and turned to see the Shinigami, Oblivion, Chaos, and Order. The entity tilted her head as she gazed at her first set of creations.

Oblivion was the first to speak as she crossed her arms and looked over at Chaos and Order.

"I was unaware that you two had knowledge about the son of Amaterasu."

Chaos' mischievous smirk returned full force.

"Of course. We all have been watching the young boy. He has certainly grown."

"And he is finally confronting the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death herself," Order began, "Though it might be difficult for him."

"In spite of all of the adventures Darling has endured," Death started, "I believe he will succeed. But as you have stated, it will not be easy for him. This will be his toughest challenge. Especially since it is the manifestation of the dead he is facing."

"The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death is a powerful entity, sister." Oblivion commented callously, "The little runt will have to be extremely careful. After all, his right eye was just wrenched out of his skull."

The 'Above' Entity suppressed the urge to express a worried expression at the mention of Issei's injury. Although she was worried, a question etched into her mind.

_'Why didn't little darling regenerate his eye yet? He carries that ability, does he not? Or is the final transformation he is currently in draining his reserves already?_'

"The son of Amaterasu has maintained his ultimate form for a long time," Chaos noted, her amusement dwindling, "Very soon, he will revert to his normal form."

"Then he must act quickly." Order agreed.

"As powerful as Darling's transformation is," Death began, "It is not without its drawbacks. It is not a permanent transformation, and since it drains Issei's energy quickly, it might not last as long."

"Not to mention the fact that the runt spent most of the time in his God Form fighting the Heavenly Emperor," Oblivion stated, "He already expelled a tremendous amount of energy in order to deliver the final blow to Indra. It is a miracle he is able to maintain it for this long."

The true _God _narrowed her dark emerald-green eyes as she pulled a bit of her black hair. As always, the scrunchie Issei had given to her was clasped onto her hair. Her eyes softening, the 'Above' Entity placed her hair behind her, and closed her eyes.

"_This is his test. But I predict he will succeed. I have faith in little darling_."

Death smiled at her Creator, while Oblivion huffed and looked away in response, closing her eyes. Chaos' golden eyes glinted in amusement as Order offered a gentle smile.

The fundamental driving forces watched through the events within the Shinto incarnation of the Underworld, expressing keen interest towards the son of Amaterasu.

* * *

><p><strong>Yomi<strong>

**_Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned._**

Those words bore themselves into Issei's mind over and over again. In this situation, that legendary phrase could not have been more used correctly at this moment. The irony was that he wasn't even the one who scorned the woman in the first place.

With his left eye intact and his right eye crushed by the hands of Izanami, Issei stood in front of his weeping grandmother. Her sobbing cries continued to echo throughout the realm of Yomi. It was one of these times that Issei honestly didn't know what to do next.

He could feel the reserved power of his Super Solar God transformation draining quickly. He inwardly cursed himself for wasting most of his energy on Indra. But he wasn't surprised at the notion. The more powerful a being is, there's always an equally powerful drawback to serve as its obstacle.

Although at this point, the notion only applied to him.

Here he was, finally confronting the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death. But he never imagined it would turn out like this. He had never been so unsure during a fight between him and his opponent before.

Then again, this wasn't exactly a fight. It was more confusing than anything.

As Izanami continued to sob, Issei touched his right eye, feeling a little unsettled at the emptiness within the hole. Looking down at Izanami, Issei's eyes softened as he lowered his head.

"Grandma."

Izanami paused in her crying, and her body trembled as she locked eyes with Issei. The son of Amaterasu prepared himself for the Goddesses' reaction of the next words he was about to speak.

"You don't deserve what Grandpa Izanagi did to you."

Issei transmitted away just in time to avoid a vicious attack from the enraged Izanami. The snakes around her hissed in derision towards the Solar God, adding emphasis to the Goddesses' anger. Her black hair seemed to rise up in unison to the serpents' coil.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU **NOT** TO SAY THAT ACCURSED NAME!"

That's right…

She did say that.

But that didn't deter Issei.

"When I followed Grandpa into Yomi in the past, he and I both saw your corpse. And as soon as he saw you, he ran away. I think he was so frightened of you that he was willing to abandon you. Just to get away from you."

Izanami's eyeless sockets narrowed as her teeth gritted in irritation.

Issei took a deep breath as he placed his hand on his right eye. Even though the bleeding had stopped, it still ached with agony.

"It wasn't right of him to do what he did. He shouldn't have done that to you." Issei finished.

"So what?!" Izanami snapped, "Do you feel pity for me?! If so, then I vehemently refuse it! As if a foolish boy like you could possibly understand!"

"You're right, Grandma. I don't."

"?!"

Izanami widened her eye sockets in surprise at Issei's reply.

"I don't understand," Issei repeated, "I don't really understand why everything that happened...happened."

His left eye softening, Issei transmitted away and reappeared in front of Izanami, causing the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death to do a double take in shock.

"What?!"

"Was becoming one with the supernatural world and following me around...supposed to atone for what Grandpa did to you, in your mind?"

Izanami's surprised expression dissolved into a fierce scowl.

"That fool Izanagi will never be atoned!" She screamed in Issei's face, "As long as his descendants exist, then my rage will never be sated!"

The cruel words of Izanami had honestly struck a chord within Issei. She truly did hate him because of something he never did. His 'grandmother', Izanami-no-Mikoto, the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death...

Was a monster.

"Is that really how you feel, Grandma?" Issei asked, his voice maintaining its forced gentleness, "Do you really want to kill me?"

As soon as Izanami's ears picked up Issei's quiet words, the Shinto Goddess' eye sockets lifted up. Her flesh twitched contortedly, and Izanami suppressed an ominous growl as she pressed her forehead against Issei's, bringing a new-found chill to the son of Amaterasu.

I...am a Goddess," Izanami began, her voice suddenly gaining a deep echoing sound, "I will teach you the truth of how little your existence means to me, my adorable little 'grandson'."

Issei started wide-eyed as Izanami's body began to contort even more. Her pale white skin altered to a burning-red color, and her limbs twisted, becoming horrid and lanky. Her eyeless sockets grew sunken but functioning eyes. From under the Shinto Goddess, arms, legs, and feet sprouted out from within, prompting Issei to teleport away from her.

The Solar God looked on in horror of Izanami's monstrous transformation.

_The Yomotsugami_.

The transformed Izanami slowly looked down at the uneasy Solar God, whose hair started to descend back into his normal brown color. Smirking darkly, Izanami let out a cackle that frightened even the creatures of Yomi.

"It would seem that while you were battling Indra, your full power was being drained by that transformation of yours! You really are a foolish little boy!"

Using one of her limbs, Izanami striked at Issei, with little success, as the Solar God jumped up at the last second.

Issei clicked his tongue as he flew up towards Izanami. Suddenly, his body started to glow with a crimson-blackish aura with silver bolts of lightning. Seconds later, a familiar black armor with crimson jewels covered the Solar God from head to toe. On the right piece of the armor, was a white gauntlet with blue jewels.

Narrowing his eye within the armor, Issei crossed his arms and placed his hands on his shoulder. The combined mists of the Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi flowed around Issei.

**_"I, who is about to awaken_**

**_Am the True Solar Dragon who has discarded the principles of domination_**

**_Holding the infinite hopes and unbreakable dreams and walking the path of righteousness_**

**_I shall become the True Solar God of the Crimson and Silver Dragon_**

**_And I promise you all! I will lead you to the Path of Heaven, glowing in deep crimson-black and silver light!"_**

After declaring his vows, the chest fragment of the black armor opened, and released a vast beam of energy in the form of sparkling, glittering wisps that were crimson-black and silver-white in color. With the leftover Solar Energy he possessed, Issei used it to add to the size of the advanced version of the expanding Solar Bomb.

Izanami's head lifted up in curiosity, and her entire body trembled in irritation.

"You are delaying the inevitable! Even with the strength of the Dragons and that Orochi creature to support you, you will never be able to defeat me!"

To make true to her words, Izanami pushed her chest forward, channeling all of the energy gathered from the pure darkness of Yomi. Small dark-purple streams of energy flowed out and formed into a fuchsia energy sphere that increased in great size.

"The stage is already set for your demise, my little Issei! I'll end your pathetic life here!"

In response, Issei sent his attack towards the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death, with the latter delivering her counterattack.

"HAAAAAA!"

"GAHHHHHHHH!"

The enhanced _Solar Bomb _and the _Darkness of Yomotsugami _collided with each other, sending sparks of light that brightened Yomi. Issei and Izanami concentrated on trying to overpower each other. Their attacks continued to expand against each other.

"Do you not understand?!" Izanami screamed, "There is nothing you can do to stop me!"

Issei refused to respond, focused on his attack.

_{Partner, you haven't used this form in a while! Be careful!}_

_((Kid! Keep your focus!))_

_[Isssssei...be safe.]_

Izanami's _Darkness of Yomotsugami _began to expand to a colossal size. Revealing her monstrous visage, Izanami looked towards Issei, bringing her bomb closer to him.

"It is unfortunate that our battle must end this way! But it shall! Goodbye, my adorable 'grandson'! Accept the reality of your death!"

The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death gathered more energy and delivered it to her attack, overwhelming the enhanced Solar Bomb from Issei. Izanami watched with psychotic glee as she watched her attack envelop Issei into its darkness.

As parts of the darkness cleared, Izanami lowered her skeletal body down and peered down at the misty cloud from her attack. Her eyes widened in fury and disbelief.

"WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!" She shrieked.

A bleeding Issei collapsed on the ground of Yomi, the creatures drawing to him in hunger. The armor had managed to save him from the brunt of Izanami's attack, but there were no traces of it anymore. The Dragon Armor no longer covered his body, leaving him defenseless. His head was lowered, preventing Izanami from seeing his face.

"DID YOU NOT HEAR WHAT I ASKED, YOU IDIOTIC WORTHLESS BRAT?! HOW DID YOU-" Izanami started.

Before she could finish her words, Issei quickly looked up and locked eyes with Izanami, who immediately gasped and covered her eyes, looking away from him. As she looked down, her eyes twitched as she watched her limbs change into a hardened texture. The texture appeared as though it was...

_Stone._

"THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE!" She screamed again, her breath growing haggard, "HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO OBTAIN THAT ACCURSED OBJECT?!"

Issei, out of breath to even respond to Izanami, struggled to get up as he moved away from the creatures of Yomi.

"ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW, YOU LITTLE FOOL!" The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death bellowed.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Come on, Newby! Where are you already?!" Saji implored.

The pawn of Sona Sitri hated the fact that he couldn't sense his best friend's energy signature at a time like this.

"Svargam should have collapsed by now," Leiko deduced, "So where is Ise-itoko? He should have been back already. Unless he's fighting someone else."

The adoptive cousin of Issei was just as worried as Saji. His biological cousin on the other hand, was worried about something else. Something that Issei actually did.

"Why did that bastard save me?! If the situation was reversed, I would never even consider saving him!"

"Why is so hard for you to understand? It's not like Newby is evil!" Saji shouted.

"Don't tell me you prefer being absorbed into Indra," Vali said with narrowed eyes, "Because if you do prefer that, then Hyoudou saving you was pointless."

Yoru glared at the host of the Vanishing Dragon with great vehemence, and scowled as he looked away. The Lunar God was getting a headache just thinking about what his cousin had done.

For him.

It was starting to piss him off again.

As he looked back, he noticed that Sun Wukong and the Leviathan Leader were still unconscious. He raised a questioning eyebrow.

'They're still unconscious? Weaklings.'

"Leader...please wake up." The Leviathan servant begged the Alpha.

The supernatural creatures and Goddesses were silent as they floated within the Dimensional Gap. Amaterasu gazed at the center of the Dimensional Gap, her worry for her son prevalent. Gaia stood next to the Sun Goddess with her arms crossed in silence.

"Mmmm..."

The Leviathan servant widened her eyes as her leader moved about. The Trihexa, who had been eerily quiet for a while, began to growl ominously, gathering the attention of Leiko.

"H-hex-chan? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Leviathan...after Issei!" 666 uttered menacingly.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Great Red remembered, "666 is getting a little ticked off by the Leviathan's presence. Hopefully she'll calm down before-"

"Leader!"

"…Never mind then." The True Dragon finished blankly.

The Alpha-Leviathan groaned as she shook her head to clear her vision. Her horns twitched in irritation as she blinked several times. She looked up at the last Leviathan, and narrowed her eyes.

"**_You are the remaining Leviathan_**." She stated.

The servant nodded in shame, nervous in front of her leader.

"Yes. We were hungry after Indra drained our energy. We were forced to consume each other."

"Humph. You're finally awake?"

Hearing the question, the Alpha looked up at the source of the voice, which belonged to the Apocalypse Dragon. She narrowed her eyes further as she recognized the other entities, most notably the Trihexa, who was glowering at her.

As she gathered her senses, the Alpha's eyes constricted into pupils as she remembered something else important. Maintaining her balance, she looked at the other supernatural creatures staring at her.

"**_Where. Is. Indra?_**" She asked, her voice dangerously trembling.

"The Heavenly Emperor is dead."

The reply was from Ophis, who floated next to the Great Red.

"**_What? Who defeated him?_**"

"My mate."

The Alpha tilted her head in response, prompting Leiko to explain.

"Ise-itoko saved you and the others from Indra. He defeated him."

At that explanation, the Alpha's eyes widened in surprise.

"**_The boy who wields Solar Energy?_** **_He destroyed Indra?_**"

"Yes leader," The Leviathan servant began, "He is the kind one."

"Is that what they're calling him now?" Great Red muttered.

"**_Kind one?_**"

"Yeah," Vali started, "Like Hyoudou's cousin said, he saved the ones Indra absorbed into his system."

"**_I see_**."

"Boy, the whole lot of you have a debt to pay to the kid now," Great Red huffed, "If I had a motorcycle for how many times-"

"You would have a lot of motorcycles, Baka-Red," Ophis interrupted blankly, prompting the True Dragon to glare at her, "We all know the phrase."

"Shut up, Ophis."

"I can't believe that bastard Indra managed to absorb all of us," Yoru fumed, "So cousin's plan was useless in the end!"

"Plan?" Rias repeated.

"Yes, what plan?" Sona asked.

"The whole point of Indra creating the tournament was to gather a group of warriors in order to combat Shiva." Vali informed them.

"Why am I not surprised?" Gaia muttered, "We all knew that was going to work against him from the very beginning."

"What was my little Sun's plan?" Amaterasu asked, genuinely curious.

"...It was sort of vague." The descendant of Lucifer admitted, "He said that if he managed to get Indra as his final opponent, he would have 'stunned' him."

"Stun?" Leiko questioned.

"He didn't elaborate," Yoru put in his two cents, "That's all he said. The Vanishing Dragon and I didn't know what the hell he was talking about."

Suddenly, a portal composed of mist manifested within the Dimensional Gap. The portal disintegrated when five beings appeared out of it. At the sight of them, Vali narrowed his eyes at them.

"Oh, great. _You_ guys."

"Been a while, Vali." Cao Cao greeted.

"Hey! It's you!" Leiko shouted, "What the hell are you doing in the Gap?!"

Her shouts were directed towards Heracles, who muttered in remembrance of Issei's cousin.

"As if that's any of your business, bitc-"

He was cut off when black and crimson energy blasts almost came in contact with him. Widening his eyes, Heracles looked up to see Ophis and the Trihexa with narrowed eyes. Knowing when to be silent, the descendant of Hercules settled for mumbling.

Sighing, Leiko looked at her cousin-in-law and the Trihexa.

"Thank you."

"What is the Hero Faction doing in here?" Akeno asked.

"Nothing much," Jeanne cheerfully replied, "We're just here to take the remaining Leviathans."

"**_Like Hell you will!"_** The Alpha-Leviathan shrieked, prompting Jeanne to widen her eyes.

The Alpha, her energy still low, growled ominously at the Hero Faction.

"Leader, wait!" The servant cried out, "You are still too frail!"

"She's right," Georg agreed with a smirk, "Which gives us enough power to capture you again."

"Wait a minute," Leiko started, "You want the Leviathans?"

Her crimson-ruby eyes then widened in realization.

"You idiots!" She screamed, "Were you working with Indra?!"

"Initially," Cao Cao admitted, "But then we realized that he was becoming insane, and decided to defect when Issei Hyoudou destroyed him.

"You mean to tell me the reason why that bastard was able to absorb us was because you helped him?!" Yoru bellowed, "If I had my energy back, I'd KILL you in an instant!"

"All right. Let's all just let bygones be bygones and we'll be on our way." Georg suggested.

Vali was about to retort before he noticed something strange about Cao Cao.

"Hey, Cao Cao. What happened to your eye?"

On Cao Cao's right eye, was a black eye patch that shielded it from exposure. Turning his attention to Vali, Cao Cao narrowed his eyes as he explained.

"Earlier on, when Issei Hyoudou had to save those Fallen Angels from the Realm of the Dead," He began, "Hades made him and I fight to see who would get to leave."

At that information, Amaterasu narrowed her eyes darkly. It appeared her maternal instincts were resurfacing once again.

"Vali," Cao Cao continued, "Do you remember the artifact referred to as Medusa's Eye?"

"Yeah, I do." Vali answered.

"Well, during our fight, I used it against Issei Hyoudou, turning him into stone."

"You did what?!" Leiko exclaimed.

"Let him finish." Great Red said to her, already aware of the story.

"Anyway, for some reason unknown to myself, Issei Hyoudou managed to regenerate himself from the attack I delivered after turning him to stone. When he recovered, he reached into my eye socket and-"

"Pulled the eye of Medusa out." Ophis finished, her voice cold and monotone.

It was this moment that Vali started to put the pieces together.

"Oh shit. Hyoudou, you dumb genius!"

"What?" Saji asked, "What was Newby planning?"

"That's what the bastard meant?!" Yoru asked in complete shock, "When he said he was planning to stun Indra, he actually meant it literally?!"

"Hold on, what was Ise-itoko's plan?" Leiko urged on.

"When the tournament was going to extend on to its final phase," Ophis began, "My Issei was going to use the power of Medusa's Eye in order to turn Indra into stone, so he could not expand his plans even further."

"Yoru and I would've had to weaken Indra first, which in turn would allow Hyoudou access to use the Eye to freeze him. Damn it, Hyoudou, so vague in your explanations." Vali stated.

"If that's true," Serafall began, "Then why didn't Ise-chan use it when he absorbed you guys?"

"Because that would have turned the others into stone as well," Gaia answered for her, "Since they were unwillingly a part of Indra at the time, Ise-chan couldn't risk using it."

"So Indra was one step ahead of Issei-kiun." Akeno deduced.

"Admittedly, it was a good plan," Sona admitted, "But things don't always work out the way you want them to."

"Hey Chow Chow." Great Red spoke incorrectly, prompting Cao Cao's face to redden in embarrassment.

"It's _Cao Cao_."

"Like I give a shit," The True Dragon quipped, "When was the last time you saw the kid?"

"We last saw Issei Hyoudou seconds before Svargam was about to explode. There's no doubt that he survived, but we can't sense where he is."

"Ophis," Gabriel started, "Do you know where Issei is now?"

"My Issei is-"

Before Ophis could finish her reply, another cut into the Dimensional Gap manifested, and a silhouette appeared. Gaia and Amaterasu narrowed their eyes as they recognized the figure. It was a man clad in traveling clothes and greaves with burning red wings on them. Gaia was the first to greet her fellow deity.

"Hermes? What is your reason for your appearance within the Dimensional Gap?"

Hermes, the Greek God of travelers, messengers, thieves, commerce, sports, athletics and speed, smiled with a laid-back air about him.

"Due to the circumstances regarding Indra's dumbassery, we deities are holding a meeting. I've been sent to inform you about it now."

"Who is holding it?" Amaterasu asked.

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh," Hermes laughed, his playful side unwavering, "You girls won't believe this!"

"It's not funny, Hermes! Just tell us!" Gaia urged.

"Humph. No sense of humor! Fine, I'll tell you! It's Shiva!"

The Shinto Goddess of the Sun and the Greek Goddess of the Earth widened their eyes in surprise.

"The Hindu God of Destruction?!" Amaterasu exclaimed, "What does he want?"

"We're going to find out in a few moments if you two come with me."

"Absolutely not! I'm staying here to make sure my little Sun comes back!"

"Little sun?" Hermes questioned, "That's a strange nickname."

Amaterasu frowned at Hermes' comment.

"Anyway," Hermes started again, "It's important that all of the Gods and Goddesses attend this meeting."

"The conflict with Indra is over," Gaia began, "So we don't need to worry about him!"

"It's not just about Indra you know. It's also about your son, Amaterasu."

"What?! What about my little Sun?!"

"I don't know yet. But I gather that Shiva's probably come in contact with your son before he created the meeting at all!"

"Must we really go?" Gaia asked.

"The God of Destruction was extremely adamant about the presence of you two." Hermes commented.

He then turned to look at Yoru, and smiled mischievously at him.

"Son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto," He began teasingly, "Your father is _thrilled _to see you again."

Yoru's eyes twitched at the mention of his father.

"If you think I want to see my bastard of a father, you've got another thing coming."

Smirking in amusement, Hermes turned his attention to the Devils, Gabriel, and the Hero Faction.

"Oh, by the way. He wanted the Three Factions and the members of the Hero Faction to attend as well."

"What?!" Rias and Sona exclaimed.

"What could he want with us?" Serafall asked.

"Again, I'm just following orders. Sooooo..."

Hermes waved his hand and summoned another portal. Very slowly, the portal emitted a vacuum-like suction that forced everyone into it, leaving Great Red, Ophis, Leiko, and the Trihexa.

Her dark-gray eyes softening, Ophis looked up at the Dimensional Gap.

"My darling little Issei," The Ouroboros Dragon cooed, "My eyes shall be the first you see when you return."

**Read & Review :)**


	44. Issei vs Izanami: Conclusion

**Yomi**

To say that Izanami-no-Mikoto was enraged was a total understatement. As she covered her eyes to prevent her sight from reaching Issei, she bared her teeth. Her body, or what was left of her body that she could actually move, trembled. Izanami was in disbelief as numerous thoughts entered her mind.

'How did he obtain that object?! He has never once entered into the realm of Mount Olympus!'

Izanami searched through her clouded mind, trying to figure out how a foolish boy like Issei possessed the ability to use the power of Medusa's Eye. She had no idea where he had gotten the powerful object. She would have remembered.

She would have!

Issei collapsed onto the ground, his body aching from Izanami's attack. The armor had saved him thankfully, but it took the full brunt of the attack, rendering the Solar God defenseless.

At this point, Issei knew he was lucky he had managed to pull out the Eye of Medusa as quickly as possible.

As he placed his hand on the right eye, which was now occupied with the Eye of Medusa, Issei struggled as he tried to get up. It was a shame that he had to use Medusa's Eye at a time like this.

Looking at the trembling shoulders of Izanami, Issei could tell that his grandmother was probably thinking of the reason of why he had used the object on her in the first place.

In Izanami's mind, she assumed Issei had used it so he could turn her completely into stone, withholding her the ability to move at all. Unbeknownst to her, Issei only used the Eye of Medusa because he was trying to get her to calm down.

He could still hear Izanami's haggard breathing, and for just a moment, the Solar God assumed that the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death had finally begun to settle down.

"You will answer me right now, you loathsome wretch!"

...So much for that.

Issei sighed as he finally regained his balance, standing up straight.

His grandmother truly was insane, plain and simple. She was disturbingly obsessed with him, literally and violently. Those facets of her personality didn't take long for Issei to figure out.

But no thoughts that labeled Izanami as evil ever reached itself into Issei's head. He in no way thought the Shinto Goddess was evil.

Crazy? Sure.

Controlling? Maybe.

An obsessive and possessively insane grandmother with 'subtle' yandere tendencies? Most definitely.

But evil? Not in the slightest.

However, Izanami wasn't misunderstood either. Her reason for doing what she did to him all because of what Izanagi did to her was completely unjustified. It was just...

Stupid!

The Solar God felt a little peeved that his grandmother was petty enough to stalk and blame him for something that he never did. What was also more confounding, was that he, the object of Izanami's obsession, was someone who wasn't even born around the beginning of Takamagahara.

The Goddess was truly a twisted woman, and in spite of Issei feeling a little sympathetic for her, Izanami had no reason to do what she did to him. All because he was a descendant of Izanagi.

He was really getting tired of the pettiness of Gods and Goddesses.

"Grandma…" Issei finally spoke, "Do you really think chasing me around and trying to make me suffer after all these years is going to bring you justice?"

"?!"

Izanami stiffened when she heard Issei's voice. She could feel the monstrous body of her transformation shaking with outrage.

She lowered her hand away from her face, taking a chance to glower darkly at Issei. A rush of suppressed relief passed through her as she discovered that Issei was covering his right eye.

"What foolish nonsense do you spout?" Izanami hissed, "I already declared long ago that I would make Izanagi, including his descendants, suffer for what he did to me!"

"And then what?!" Issei shouted, his patience slowly fading at his grandmother's irrationality, "Then what, Grandma?! When every last descendant of Grandpa is removed from existence, what will you do then?!"

Izanami's eyes widened as they twitched, shuddering at Issei's words.

"B-be silent," She stuttered before her rage returned full force, "You dare ask me such an idiotic question?!"

"Taking revenge on me...all because Grandpa broke his promise? What a waste! You spent all this time trying to get revenge on him, and yet you haven't even considered what you're going to do after your vendetta is all over! How could you be so spiteful?!"

"I-I-I..." Izanami's stuttering became more apparent as her mouth quivered.

In the back of her mind, the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death was having conflicted feelings. This wasn't supposed to be happening. All that ever mattered to her was making Izanagi and his descendants suffer for what he had done to her. The irrationality of her goal had been completely ignored, due to her own feelings.

"Why, Grandma?!" Issei exclaimed, his tone almost imploring, "Why go through all of this?! Obsessing and manipulating my life just to make Grandpa suffer, knowing that your anger will never reach him!"

"YOU HOLD YOUR TONGUE THIS INSTANT!" Izanami roared, her echoes pronounced from the vast darkness of Yomi.

Izanami's aura changed into a vibrant and menacing flow as she glared at Issei.

"You do not understand! We were supposed to live in happiness and bliss, giving birth to numbers of children, the very islands that exist in Japan! And then he abandoned me in this horrid realm! ME! As soon as he gazed upon my image, he fled, wanting to never look at me again! He _betrayed_ me! After I specifically gave him instructions not to look at me! ALL HE HAD TO DO..."

Then Izanami paused in her words. The Shinto Goddess shuddered as her emotions overwhelmed her. The memories were coming back full force. She immediately tried to suppress her thoughts and feelings that were barely rising to the surface.

"All he had to do...was wait."

Issei narrowed his eyes as he looked up at Izanami. His hand was still on his right eye, that fact being the only reason why Izanami had not fully turned to stone yet.

As he looked away from Izanami, Issei caught the sight of the auras flowing from the realm of Yomi. They were slowly forming around Izanami, prompting Issei to be mindful of what was happening.

Izanami was corrupted the very moment she ate the food of Yomi all those years ago. With the constant energy of Yomi supplying her power, Izanami was slowly starting to lose any traces of 'humanity' she had left. The monstrous visage she currently possessed reflected her true personality.

Trying to hold back her bitter tears, Izanami looked down towards Issei, and her anger immediately returned as she scowled at him. She clenched her fists again, her already horrid form distorting to a ghastly degree.

"The strength of my resolve shall never fade!" Izanami shouted, her dual voice becoming distorted, "I will trap you in the Realm of Yomi, just how I attempted to capture your despicable grandfather! This time, I shall not fail!"

Issei looked on in horror and rage as he watched his grandmother transform into an even more corrupted version of the Yomotsugami.

"I have made my declaration...and you still do not submit?"

"No! I won't let you do this!" Issei shouted as his aura flared around him.

"Why such resistance, my adorable little 'grandchild'?" Izanami mockingly cooed, "I guess it's the foolish nature you inherited from that mother of yours."

Unbeknownst to Izanami, the aura flowing around Issei did not contain the orange-yellow flame color it was usually adorned with. Nor did the aura match the blackish color of his Hell-Fire transformation from six months ago. Instead, it was the color of pure white.

"Oh? What is this? Has my beloved grandchild awoken to a new power that even I had not imagined? Is it perhaps a new transformation?" Izanami inquired teasingly.

The Solar God had already lost the usage of the Super Solar God transformation, and since he was trapped in Yomi, there was no light or the actual Sun for him to absorb any more energy. As of now, Issei couldn't even transform if he really wanted to.

A sphere of energy manifested in Issei's left hand. Like his aura, the sphere was composed of silver-white particles.

"Do you genuinely believe that tiny speck of your pitiful energy will be enough to destroy me? Do not tell me that ignorance has blinded you!"

Issei tightened his grip on the silver energy, giving Izanami his answer. Losing her amused tone, Izanami snarled and lifted herself up, breaking the parts of her body that were composed of stone. With that set, she charged towards Issei.

The son of Amaterasu readied himself as he waited for Izanami to get closer. As Izanami neared closer to him, Issei narrowed his eyes and sprinted forward, smashing the silver energy sphere onto Izanami's skeletal chest.

"WHAT?!" Izanami cried out in shock, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!"

If the plan he had in his mind worked, then he would succeed at what his grandfather had failed to do.

Issei didn't reply as he pushed forward. Much to Izanami's surprise, the size of the energy sphere suddenly expanded to gigantic proportions. The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death cried out in surprise as she felt parts of her 'skin' burning off of her.

With a grunt, Issei placed more pressure on the bomb that collided with Izanami, pushing her backwards. The Goddess gasped as she looked behind her, and her eyes widened in disbelief and shock.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" She shrieked.

Refusing to answer her, Issei reached his fist back and punched the sphere into Izanami, his force pushing both the sphere and Izanami backwards. Issei flew after them, making sure what he had intended was going to work.

Izanami screamed as Issei's attack began to burn her, its contact giving her great pain. She could feel her skeletal remains disintegrating, with the rest of her body glowing brightly as the sphere engulfed her. The sphere sped towards the exit of Yomi, its path stopped by a large boulder.

The boulder that was placed by Izanagi in order to seal Izanami, burst as the sphere created by Issei crushed it.

* * *

><p>The energy sphere then stopped as soon as it touched the ground, imploding it upon itself. The action released a massive shock-wave that delivered tremors to the Shinto realm. A bright light accompanied the disaster that had just occurred.<p>

Issei quickly stood in the front entrance of Yomi, waiting for the light to fade away. He genuinely hoped that the energy he had gathered was enough to make him succeed in his objective. As he watched the brightness of the light dim, Issei looked down, and his eyes widened in shock.

An unconscious woman lay upon the ground, her body still. Like most of the Gods and Goddesses Issei had met, the woman was tall. Her skin, although a bit pale and extremely thin, had gained a bit of light shade to it. Her long black hair, which no longer sunk to her skin, and had a few long and frayed strands of hair that fell across her face, seemed to exude a healthy sheen. She was also clad in her white robe, with blood spots no longer present on the cloth.

Issei stared wide-eyed as he looked at the woman, unable to believe that his plan had worked. The appearance she held was far different than that of the Yomotsugami.

But Issei wasn't stupid. The woman who was unconscious, was the very same entity who had fused her consciousness with that of the supernatural.

As Issei moved forward to look closer, a powerful force shoved him downward, causing him to fall towards the Shinto incarnation of the Underworld. As he fell in, the entrance to Yomi began to close up.

As the woman laid upon the grass fields of the realm of T_akamagahara_, her black hair flew along in unison to the wind. In contrast to her previous incarnation as the Yomotsugami, she appeared to have a more gentle and delicate appearance.

Suddenly, her eyes fluttered, and opened half-lidded. The color of her eyes were a deep purple with a hint of soft blue within them. Very slowly, Izanami parted her lips and softly breathed in and out, her voice a mere gentle whisper of her next word.

"Issei..."

* * *

><p><strong>Yomi<strong>

Recovering from his surprise, Issei gasped as he went to reclaim his balance, until the exit to Yomi suddenly closed, leaving him trapped within. The Solar God reacted by quickly sprinting towards the exit.

Until an authoritative and booming voice called out to him.

_**This is an act of which I can neither allow nor ignore.**_

Issei tensed as he tried to sense where the voice was coming from.

"What's going on?!"

The Solar God looked around, feeling a bit nervous in the situation he was in.

_**For a mere Godling to escape the Realm of Yomi without my permission. Such an unforgivable offense.**_

Issei stayed where he was, listening closely to the voice.

_**I...am ****Amenominakanushi, the first primordial god of Shintoism. The Heavenly Ancestral God of the Originating Heart of the Universe. And you, child of Amaterasu, will not go unpunished by what you have just done.**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**I based the purified incarnation of Izanami on that of Hisana Kuchiki from Bleach. Don't ask why, but I immediately pictured Hisana when I thought of a 'pure' Izanami.**

**And Issei just can't catch a break. Now he has unintentionally angered the very first Primordial God of the Shinto mythology.**

**Read & Review :)**


	45. Issei vs Amenominakanushi: The Prelude

**Mount Kailash**

Mount Kailash, the peak of Kailas Range, lied near the source of several longest rivers of Asia. Its purpose served as the sacred place of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. It was also the location in which Shiva referred to as his 'humble' abode.

"Shiva-dono. It is almost time for the meeting to take place."

The God of Destruction opened his eyes as he continued his meditation. The woman who had just spoken to him smiled warmly, taking a seat next to him. Shiva allowed a smile to adorn his face as he closed his eyes once more.

"Thank you for the reminder, Parvati."

"It is my pleasure." The Hindu Goddess of Love, Devotion, and the source of all the power of Hinduism answered.

She sat closer to Shiva as she laid her head upon his shoulder.

"What is the purpose of this meeting, Shiva-dono?" She asked, "Is it about Amaterasu's child?"

Shiva opened his eyes, adopting a thoughtful expression.

"Issei Hyoudou is very peculiar. There is something strange yet special about him. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Indra's actions, and if Issei Hyoudou deserves to earn my blessing."

"Hmm?" Parvati hummed, "Your blessing?"

"That is correct. But the time for the meeting is short, so Issei Hyoudou shall best hurry with whatever he is doing at the moment. If he has the will to survive that is."

"If this meeting involves the knowledge of only Indra and Amaterasu's son, then why are the other deities involved? I am aware that most of the Gods and Goddesses have heard of Issei Hyoudou, but why the rest?"

"I believe it is about time the rest of the deities became aware of the Solar God, and if he has earned the right to achieve the status of a God."

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

The fundamental drives of the Universe looked upon the Shinto incarnation of the Underworld. The 'Above' Entity, Death, Oblivion, Chaos, and Order were silent as they observed the actions of Issei Hyoudou.

"Such a fool." Oblivion muttered.

"You call Darling a fool, I think of him as naive yet determined." Death stated.

"How do you figure that?" Order asked.

"No, Oblivion is correct," Chaos amended, "In spite of the son of Amaterasu's noble actions, he shouldn't have done that. Ejecting the ruler of Yomi out of her own throne and sending her all the way back to Takamagahara was unexpected, yet foolish."

"Why would he do this?" The personification of Non-Existence asked in a puzzling manner, "It's not as though Izanami asked him to free her from the realm of Yomi."

"_Issei has performed many feats and actions that are unexplainable_," The "Above' finally spoke, "_But little darling always has a reason for what he does_."

"That's right, my Creator," A familiar voice called out, "Amaterasu's child is not without his own intentions."

The five entities turned to look at the source of the voice, and only two of them showed clear reactions. One of them, being Death, shot the source an amused smile, while Oblivion scowled darkly at it. The 'Above' Entity blinked as she turned her head.

"Eternity. You have chosen a different appearance."

"It's been a long time, sister." Death greeted its sibling.

"Not long enough." Oblivion muttered darkly.

Like its moody sibling, Eternity had chosen to take on a different form. It had only performed this action on a whim, since it had _all the time_ in the world to do anything. It now took the form of a tall, beautiful and slender woman with long light-aqua hair and matching colored eyes. In its new form, Eternity also wielded the symbol of infinity on its chest.

Chaos smirked as she turned to look at her sibling, while Order smiled gently.

"What is with this sudden arrival, sister? We don't see you for a while, and you appear just out of the blue. Did you miss conversing with your siblings that badly?"

Eternity delivered a smile that seemed to be warm yet off-putting, much to the great annoyance of Oblivion.

"The reason for my arrival is based on a mere whim of mine, Chaos. To see how Issei Hyoudou fares this time. It would seem at the moment, that he is at a great disadvantage. His solar energy, for instance, is of no use to him any longer."

"That's right," Order agreed, "As Oblivion stated before, Issei used most of his latent solar power during his battle against Indra. And because he was in his God-like form, that immense power drained his reserves quickly."

"And now," Death began, "Issei has most likely used the last of his solar energy to 'purify' Izanami from the effects of Yomi. Although I am feeling such excitement by the fact that Darling might actually suffer, I certainly do not want him to break. A broken Darling isn't much fun."

"Well then unless the son of Amaterasu thinks of something quick, he stands no chance against Amenominakanushi." Oblivion stated, "After all, he is the literal first kami and absolute of the Shinto world. It would be impossible for the little fool to defeat him. Even if he were to think of a plan, Amenominakanushi's power still dwarfs that of Issei Hyoudou."

Eternity's smile seemed to widen as her blue eyes narrowed. Oblivion's eyes twitched as it gazed at its sibling.

"Amenominakanushi informed Issei that he was going to be punished," The personification of Time and Reality uttered, "so the little munchkin is going to have do something to avoid that punishment."

Oblivion's own response was cut short as she widened her eyes in bewilderment at Eternity's choice of words.

"Munchkin?!" She repeated incredulously, "Do not tell me you have lowered yourself by giving the runt a 'pet name'!"

"And so what if I have?" Eternity teased, "Shinigami and our Creator have done so, so why shouldn't I have the choice?"

Muttering to herself, Oblivion sent Eternity a scowl that made the latter's smile widen even more.

"What is so amusing that you have to make such a facial gesture, _sister_?" Oblivion asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know, _Onee-chan_."

"Ugh!" Oblivion scoffed in disgust.

"_Regardless_," The 'Above' Entity began, "_Little Darling should take care to be careful. Ouroboros is not the only one who is concerned for Issei_."

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

"T-takamagahara...!"

The Plain of High Heaven. It looked exactly the same the last time Izanami had ever laid her eyes on it. The origin of every Shinto deity tracked all the way to the realm.

Her body strained and frail, the only movement Izanami could perform, were the motion of her eyes. The Shinto Goddess blinked several times as she breathed softly. In her mind, she was beginning to gather strange thoughts that regarded Issei.

Izanami felt great confusion as she lay upon the grass fields of Takamagahara. She couldn't understand what had just happened. She remembered Issei summoning a colossal sphere of silver energy, and then using it to collide into her. Even though she felt intense pain, Izanami had the feeling that Issei wasn't trying to attack her at all.

Which made her even more confused.

"Why?" She uttered weakly, "Why would he do that?"

Izanami winced as she tried to move her purified body. The strain affected her greatly, prompting her to grit her teeth. She then widened her eyes as she felt her skin.

"I-I feel...!" The Goddess exclaimed in shock.

The constant numbness she endured within the realm of Yomi contrasted to what she was feeling right now. It was so foreign to her that she found it impossible to even feel this way. She didn't know what to feel at the moment.

Izanami staggered as she struggled to raise herself up. She hugged herself, slowly looking around her former home. Her black hair flowed in sync with the wind, parts of it covering her eyes. Izanami blew parts of hair away from her face.

"Why?" Izanami asked again.

Her legs trembled as she walked around her former home. Izanami hugged herself tighter, and stopped in her tracks, pausing in her movement.

"What?"

The accumulation of energy signatures rushed through her senses, prompting Izanami to widen her eyes. They were familiar to her, including the signature that belonged to the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. But she detected more. Thousands of them.

Izanami lowered her eyes as she collapsed to her knees, her body taking its toll once more. Taking a deep breath, Izanami looked behind her to see the entrance of Yomi. Her gentle eyes widened as she noticed something strange.

"What is this?!"

The entrance to Yomi was no longer present. The boulder that Izanagi trapped her long ago was no longer present. The entrance was nonexistent, with only fragments of the land of Takamagahara covering it.

Izanami gasped as she got up and walked forward, trying to edge closer to her desired destination. She felt an overwhelming amount of fear and worry rush through her. Long ago, she would refused the feeling, but at the moment, she was feeling vulnerable enough to welcome it.

She was finally free from the clutches of Yomi. Izanami had never thought it would be possible to escape, given that she had to ask the Gods of Yomi for permission to be released. Still, she was finally out!

But Issei...

Izanami widened her eyes further until her pupils constricted. She shook her head rapidly, wishing that the realization she had just discovered was not true.

"No! My little Issei!" Izanami cried out, "My little grandson!"

Izanami placed her hand on her mouth and winced again. She was so worried that she had almost missed the tone of the last three words she spoke. Earlier, she had spoken them in tremors of malice and bitterness. But this time, her tone of voice exuded that of a genuinely concerned...

_Grandmother._

This feeling. It confused her to no end. It gave her a headache, and yet it made her heart beat at an even quicker pace.

* * *

><p><strong>Yomi<strong>

If Issei had a nickel for every time a member of his family, or even a member of the Shinto mythology wanted to kill him, he most likely would have been rich by now. Amenominakanushi was the progenitor of Shinto mythology, making him the 'father' of all Shinto deities. Which also made him...

'My great-grandfather or something? Well then again...'

Issei shook his head so he could concentrate on the situation he was in. He was trapped in Yomi, and as he looked towards the former exit, he noticed that there was nothing there. It was as though there was an endless path.

_**Did you not hear me, child of Amaterasu? You will not escape your punishment.**_

Issei reacted by widening his eyes.

"What do you mean?! What did I do?!"

Had he committed some sort of offense? He had never even met Amenominakanushi before, and he had already angered him somehow.

_**Izanami-no-Mikoto is the Shinto Goddess of Creation AND Death, foolish child. When she passed on, her ties to Yomi were deemed to be permanent. She was strictly forbidden to leave, even after the subsequent sealing caused by Izanagi. And yet, you released her.**_

_That_ was why the first kami was mad at him? Because he freed Izanami from Yomi?

Issei frowned as he attempted to search for the physical form of Amenominakanushi. It was hard to see anything within the darkness of Yomi anyhow.

"That's why you're mad? Look, I mean no disrespect, but don't you see that Grandma didn't deserve to be sealed in Yomi in the first place? What Grandpa did to her was completely uncalled for!"

_**Such trivial matters matter nothing to me, boy. Realize what you have done and accept it. With the absence of Izanami to maintain her rule as the Goddess of Yomi, soon it will collapse into nothingness. In order to maintain it, another being shall inhabit it.**_

'Another being?! He's not suggesting...'

_**Fairness nor nobility matters nothing to a deity such as myself. Although freeing Izanami from the realm of darkness exuded nobility, it was a great offense. You will be forever sealed within Yomi, child of Amaterasu.**_

"What?!" Issei exclaimed, "You can't be serious! The realm of Yomi has still been around before even Grandma passed away! It was able to keep its structure before, so why not now?!"

This couldn't be happening. He thought he had finally solved his problems, defeating Izanami-no-Mikoto and freeing her from Yomi.

_**Do you genuinely believe that the presence of Izanami has not affected the realm of darkness? To the point that Yomi, as well as its creatures, requires a ruler in order to support its stability. There is no point for argument, child of Amaterasu. You WILL reside in Yomi-tsu-kuni, regardless of your feelings.**_

"No!" Issei shouted, "I won't let that happen! I made a promise to Ophis that I would come back to her!"

_**The Ouroboros Dragon? Such a foolish gesture. Why do you harbor such feelings for a worthless creature?**_

If Amenominakanushi had willingly gathered the energy to choose a physical form, he most likely would have raised an eyebrow in interest at Issei's words.

"Worthless?! Creature?!" Issei bellowed, his words louder than he had ever shouted before.

How dare he call his wife that?! Ophis wasn't worthless, not by a long shot!

"Don't call Ophis something she clearly isn't!"

_**She? You naïve fool. The Ouroboros Dragon is genderless. How can you harbor such love for a...thing such as it? It would be incorrect to refer to it as a female.**_

"You think that matters to me?! The fact of the matter is that Ophis is Ophis, and I love her just the same!"

_**Is that so? Then tell me, do you also share the same amount of love for your mother? With that knowledge in mind, I will simply target your mother instead.**_

Time seemed to stop around Issei as he heard Amenominakanushi's last sentence.

_{...Partner?}_

_((Kid?))_

_[Isssssei?]_

_**You seem hesitant to speak, child of Amaterasu. Do you not care for your own parent? At the moment, I hear no reply, which leads me to believe that she does not mean a thing to you.**_

The Solar God stood perfectly still, with the exception of his fists trembling. His face was covered by his brown hair, unseen to the naked eye.

_**And while we are on the subject of 'families', do you also care for that disposable human you refer to as 'Leiko'? As part of your punishment, I shall target both Amaterasu and her.**_

Issei's body shook more, his fists trembling as his fingers sunk into his skin, drawing blood. The images of his wife, his mother, and his adoptive cousin clouded his mind. The overwhelming fury that Issei hadn't felt in so long, was slowly resurfacing to the brink.

_**It is pointless to put up a front, Issei Hyoudou. Your Solar Energy has depleted to nothingness, rendering you only the power from the Two Heavenly Dragons, and that Yamata-no-Orochi creature. At that state you are in, it would be a foolish attempt to challenge me. With no Sun or any other massive stars to absorb, you are powerless. Not even access to the power of Medusa's Eye will go in your favor.**_

As Issei looked up to glare at the endless darkness, a formless portal manifested above him. The portal then expanded to a gargantuan size, giving Issei a bountiful view. The Solar God narrowed his eyes as he stood where he was.

'Space...'

He was looking into the atmosphere of space, where he remembered fighting Yoru during their second battle. As he looked further, he tensed when he saw the vast source of his powers floating within alignment to the other planets.

The Sun.

_**Do you see it, child of Amaterasu? The object in space? The very vessel of what your mother represents? The reason you exist at all?**_

'What's he planning?!' Issei thought as he felt his body freeze up.

_**...Now watch, as it disappears.**_

Time once again once seemed to go slow for Issei as he tried to move as fast as he could. He charged towards the portal, only to be repelled by it. Issei widened his eyes as he watched the obliteration of the colossal Sun.

"?!"

The pain was instantaneous, so intense that there was no possible way for Issei to become numb to it. For each second, the constant agony delivered to Issei was extremely aching. He immediately collapsed on the grounds of Yomi. His entire body throbbed, bringing him a degree of suffering he had never endured in his life.

_{PARTNER!}_

_((Kid?!))_

_[Issei?!]_

Not even the cries of Ddraig, Al, and the Yamata-no-Orochi were enough to rouse Issei out of his pain-induced struggle. The only reason he wasn't completely dead, was because of the body his wife and brother-in-law had created for him.

_**How does it feel, Issei Hyoudou? The catastrophic pain that shall remain constant. I told you that you would be trapped in Yomi forever. As my words are declared, so it shall be.**_

Issei lost the will to speak as he struggled to ignore his discomfort, which was difficult.

His eyes shot open, his left eye bloodshot with fury and intense agony. He tightened his shaking fists, trying his damnedest to fight off the pain, while at the same time, trying to think clearly.

_**What troubles you, child of Amaterasu? Do you wish to defeat me? If so, that is impossible. With the destruction of the Sun, you no longer possess the power to transform into the final evolution of your solar power, nor can you use any ounce of solar energy. As we speak, your body is weakening, rendering you a pitiful Godling.**_

A gigantic manifestation of energy appeared within the atmosphere of Space. The physical body size of Amenominakanushi towered over the size of Earth itself. There were so specific characteristics of the first kami's body, appearing as a regular form with glowing yellow eyes.

Issei tensed as he looked up at the enormous God, and gritted his teeth, his body shaking. As he went to move back, the pain Issei felt increased tenfold. Before Issei knew it, he was embedded into the ground, trapped within the cracks.

_**You are no match for my speed, you pathetic godling.**_

Amenominakanushi lifted his fist up, rapidly bringing it down past the portal and striking the defenseless Issei. For every punch the first kami delivered, the pain augmented to great degrees. The Solar God sunk deeper into the trenches of Yomi, until complete darkness blocked his sight.

* * *

><p><em>M-my Issei!<em>

_He could see her now. Her long and silky black hair which cascaded against her back, sported a beautiful sheen. Her dark-gray eyes bore themselves onto him, shining clearly._

_Shining? Why were her eyes shining? Those captivating eyes._

_M-my little mate! MY Issei!_

_No..._

_It couldn't be!_

_She was crying!_

_The tears falling from her beautiful face set him off. Who would make his wife cry like that? He swore that whoever made her cry would pay dearly. He couldn't fail now!_

_He wouldn't!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>It would seem that you failed to keep your promise to that worthless thing. And very soon, Amaterasu will slowly weaken.<strong>_

Amenominakanushi raised his colossal fist and sent it down towards Issei. Brown eyes shot open, and with a display of willpower, Issei stood up and caught the large fist with both hands. Seconds later, the auras of the Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi covered Issei, allowing him to force Amenominakanushi backwards.

The first deity to come into Shintoism narrowed his eyes as he glared down at the son of Amaterasu. He then spotted a sharp object in Issei's hand. The God let out a faint scoff as he recognized the item in Issei's hand.

_**What's this? You are planning to use the spawn of Loki's fang in order to combat me? You foolish Godling. The fangs of Fenrir are notorious for their God-Killing attributes, but do not even think for a second that they will not work against you.**_

_{Partner, this is a huge risk you are taking!}_

_((He's right! And even with our power, there's a chance your idea might fail!))_

Issei closed his eyes as his entire body shivered.

"I won't him let him get away for insulting Ophis! I won't let him get away for planning to make Ophis cry!"

Amenominakanushi adopted a frown as he moved his fist once more. Issei then opened his eyes wide, and let out a bellow that would have impressed even the Great Red.

"I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THAT!"

With his declaration, Issei twisted the fang of Fenrir around in his hand, and pierced his chest with it. Crimson-blood seeped out as a result from the wound, but suddenly, a black coat of energy formed around Issei, covering him from head to toe. The energy dissipated, revealing Issei with a deep black aura and altered appearance.

With the fang of Fenrir embedded into his body, Issei's hair now sported a deep black shade, his eyes changed to a blue color, and his entire physique was covered by a smoky black aura. Droplets of Issei's blood mixed with the smoky aura, giving it a combined shade of crimson and black.

'Ddraig. Al. Orochi-chan. I'm going to need all of your help. As a team. As your partner.'

_{(([Issei...]))}_

The Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi delivered their response in the form of their signature auras covering Issei. Amenominakanushi watched on with interest, until he lowered his head in disappointment.

_**A feeble attempt to conjure a plan, Issei Hyoudou. Stabbing yourself with the fang of Fenrir, while in turn would give you the additional attributes to destroy a God, was an idiotic plan. Since you are a God as well, the fang damages you just the same. While you could use the Welsh Dragon to boost the power of Fenrir's fang, the damage it delivers will kill you from the inside.**_

Issei merely glared at Amenominakanushi.

_**Although I shall give you just one credit. Using the power of the Vanishing Dragon to 'suppress' the effects of Fenrir's fang temporarily might help you. But even then, you will stand no chance against me. I have already informed you of the reality and situation. You will not survive and reunite with that thing you call a wife, causing it to dissolve into pitiful tears.**_

Glaring up at Amenominakanushi, Issei narrowed his eyes and flew up at the first kami of Shinto mythology.

"I WON'T LET YOU MAKE OPHIS CRY!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Be honest :)**

**Did any of you remember Fenrir's fang? The very artifact Issei won in his battle against Loki. Issei keeps his prizes for a reason. Winning the Eye of Medusa from his battle with Cao Cao, and Fenrir's fang from his battle with the aforementioned character and Loki.**

**God, that part was so much fun to write :)**

**Oh, and as for the reappearance of the entity known as Eternity, her new form is based on that of Esdeath from Akame ga Kill!**

**The reason why Ophis and the other Primordial Entities aren't helping Issei (nor are they going to save him) is because i****n the earlier chapters, Issei stated that he was going to defeat his enemies all by himself. Which means he doesn't want any of the strongest entities to help him. He even told Ophis, The 'Above' Entity, and Great Red that he would do everything by himself now. No one is going to save Issei, because they all have faith in him. But rest assured, Amenominakanushi isn't going to be defeated so easily. Let it be known, that Ophis and the rest of Issei's 'Unwanted Harem' are not going to help him at all.**

**Because his battle with Amenominakanushi, is Issei's final test.**

**Read & Review :)**


	46. For Every Action There Is A Reaction

**Omniverse**

The collective entities of the Universe watched the upcoming fight between Issei and Amenominakanushi with anticipated interest. As they usually chose not to do so, the entities had no intention of interfering within the fight.

Eternity, who had recently arrived, floated next to her siblings and her Creator, her aqua eyes overshadowed by her matching colored hair. Unlike the usual gentle yet off-putting smile that usually adorned her facial features, Eternity sported a complete flat yet unseen gaze.

Oblivion noticed the quiet source of her constant annoyance, and raised an eyebrow.

'What is she thinking about?' Oblivion asked herself, 'I have not seen that expression on her face in a long time. And that is not a good thing.'

Delivering another scowl towards Eternity, Oblivion turned its attention back to the upcoming fight. The entity would have to deal with its suspicion later.

"My, my," Death cooed, "The fang of Fenrir? Darling truly is interesting. Even I was not aware of what he was going to do."

"He is still a fool." Oblivion muttered, "Absorbing the influence of the God-Devouring Wolf. What is he thinking? That act hinders more than helps him."

"I am not so sure," Chaos countered, "Issei Hyoudou has the clone of the Vanishing Dragon to dampen the side effects of Fenrir."

"Whilst boosting the actual power of Fenrir's fang." Order finished, "It may be a risky plan, but Amaterasu's child is thinking a bit more strategically."

"It seems what they say is true," Death started, "Power _does_ come at a price."

"_It was smart yet foolish of Issei to do that."_ The 'Above' Entity said, her voice taking on an emotive tone.

"What else could he do?" Chaos replied, "Amenominakanushi obliterated the vast star in the center of the Solar System. That puts the little one at a massive disadvantage. After all, Solar Energy was Issei Hyoudou's greatest source of power. At the moment, his strength level has decreased drastically."

"But Darling isn't worried for himself. He has so much to worry about. Amaterasu, for instance." Death noted, "She is the Shinto Goddess of the Sun and the Universe. With the destruction of the Sun, she should slowly begin to feel the after-effects."

"The Earth is in danger as well." Order pointed out, "So Issei Hyoudou must hurry. As we have said, this is _the _final test."

"Humph," Oblivion huffed, "A final test? For what purpose? To prove himself? The runt has nothing to prove."

"_You are incorrect_," The 'Above' Entity countered, much to Oblivion's surprise, "_Little Darling does have something to prove. He wants to prove that he does not need the assistance of Ouroboros, or anyone else to help him._"

"You talk as though others and the Ouroboros Dragon have helped him countless of times." Order commented.

"I do wonder, though" Death began dreamily, "How many times _have_ we helped our _sweet, sweet_ Darling? It shouldn't be that often, depending on how many battles he has endured."

Chaos rose her head up as she contemplated.

"Let us see. Issei Hyoudou received no help from anyone when he fought against Riser Phenex, Fallen Angel Kokabiel, Loki and Fenrir, Susanoo for the first time, Yoru, Cao Cao, and then Indra. I recall the Shinigami saving Issei Hyoudou so Izanami would not have been able to capture him."

Oblivion turned to send an accusing glare towards its amused sibling.

"What?! That was the reason you saved the runt? I thought it was because you did not want Hades to capture him!"

"Fu fu fu. That is half-true." Death admitted, "I _did_ save Darling on account of the obsessive nature of Izanami. But I also did it because I wanted to screw over that Olympian fool."

"And I also recall the Ouroboros Dragon and the Apocalypse Dragon crafting the son of Amaterasu a new body, after he defeated his Grim Reaper incarnation." Chaos continued, "That is only a couple of events in which Issei has been saved."

"And yet he feels that he needs to prove himself?" Oblivion questioned, "Why?"

"Is it not obvious, _sister_?" Eternity finally spoke, her off-putting smile returning, "The little sweet wishes not to be a burden to anyone. If any of you recall, he specifically told that mortal cousin of his that he wants to accomplish everything by himself now. That would mean no help from Ouroboros and the rest of us."

"Why would he go this far?" Oblivion asked.

"_Because little darling does not want to be dependent upon anyone but himself_." The 'Above' Entity answered.

* * *

><p><strong>Bottom of Mount Kailash<strong>

A portal manifested into an empty space, revealing Hermes, Amaterasu, Gaia, the Occult Research Club and Student Council, and the rest of the Three Factions.

"Attention riders, this is your pilot speaking-"

"Would you stop saying that, Hermes?" Gaia asked, her patience growing thin.

Hermes, annoyed that his words were interrupted, pouted and sent Gaia a glare in response. With a huff, he teleported away from them.

Rias, Sona, Gabriel, and Serafall looked around curiously, trying to find the rest of higher members of the Three Factions. The rest of the Occult Research Club and the Student Council stayed with their respective masters.

Cao Cao and his teammates stood perfectly still as they watched the chatter of the many deities. The Alpha-Leviathan and her servant glared at the Hero Faction, daring them to capture them again.

Yoru scowled as he sensed his father's energy source, his behavior becoming temperamental by the second. Tsukuyomi's energy immediately dampened at the presence of his son, and Yoru's mood lifted up just a bit, sporting a malicious smile.

Vali crossed his arms, a bit marveled by the appearance of Shiva's home.

"So this is Mount Kailash." He mused, "Why hold a meeting at a place like this?"

"Because Shiva-dono is the one holding the meeting." Gaia answered, "It is the same situation with my faction. If Zeus were to hold a meeting, the location would be at Mount Olympus."

"Hmm." Vali hummed in response.

"A-ah-" A strained voice called out.

Gaia widened her eyes and turned to see Amaterasu collapsing to the ground. The Goddess of the Sun and the Universe was extremely pale, her black hair losing a bit of its shine. The Greek Goddess of the Earth crouched down and held her closest friend gently.

"Ga-Gai-" Amaterasu tried to speak, before she clutched her chest.

"Ama-chan?! What's wrong?!" She asked imploringly.

The supernatural creatures set their sights towards the fallen Amaterasu, who seemed to be growing weaker by the second. Vali sported a concerned look at his rival's mother, while Yoru surprisingly glanced at his aunt in confusion.

'What the hell is going on?!' Vali exclaimed in his thoughts.

"Helios?! Alectrona?! Apollo?!

"Ra?!"

The Vanishing Dragon looked all around him, watching as a large portion of the deities who embodied the Sun, fell to the ground.

'Hyoudou's mother isn't the only one who's getting weaker! It's as though every deity that is aligned with the Sun is fainting! What on Earth is going on here?!'

* * *

><p><strong>Mount Kailash<strong>

Shiva maintained his meditating position, until he slowly rose up. He could hear the chattering of the various gods and goddesses who had come to his meeting.

He rose an eyebrow as he noticed that there weren't many deities present as he would have liked. But he wasn't surprised. The meeting mostly applied to the deities that were aware of Indra and Issei Hyoudou, and not many gods or goddesses were aware of the latter anyway.

With a sigh, Shiva took a stand, and walked out of his covern to look down at the deities who had come to the meeting. As he predicted there were only few gods and goddesses, but it didn't bother him in the slightest.

The Hindu God of Destruction cleared his throat and went to speak, until he noticed something strange.

'What's this?'

Many deities were fainting, their respective allies trying to comfort them as best they could. Shiva looked around in confusion, his wise mind trying to decipher what was happening.

"S-shiva-dono." A stuttering voice called out to him.

Shiva turned around to see a red-skinned man with three eyes and four arms walking towards him. With a rare but brief sense of fleeting composure, Shiva went to catch Surya, the Hindu God of the Sun before he could fall.

"Surya," Shiva uttered, "What state has befallen you?"

Surya struggled to look up at his comrade, and he uttered only two words.

"T-the Sun!" Surya managed to cry out before he lost consciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"My Issei…" Ophis cooed quietly.

She knew exactly where Issei was and who he was fighting. Overwhelming amounts of love, worry, and concern etched themselves into the Ouroboros Dragon's mind. It took a large part of her self-control to remain in her home and wait for the Solar God to return to her. Her excessive love for Issei was perhaps the only thing that could keep her resolve.

"Ophis."

Ophis looked up at the source of the voice, which turned out to be from the Apocalypse Dragon. Great Red gazed down at his 'sister' with a look of concern. Leiko, and surprisingly the Trihexa shared worried looks as well.

"Now's not the time to be concerned for the kid," He gruffly uttered, "We both know this was all his idea. He wants us to support him, without saving or helping him."

"I feel...worried for Issei." The Trihexa muttered.

Ophis let out a sigh as she lowered her head.

"I, am aware of what my mate said." She admitted, "But my body seems to ache in concern for my little Issei."

"We're all worried for Ise-itoko, Ophis," Leiko reassured, "Don't forget that we all love him just as much as you do."

"Humph, you seem calm." Great Red noted, "I figured you'd be all frantic about the whole situation due to that cousin-complex of yours."

"…"

Great Red rose his head up at Leiko's lack of response, and he turned his head to look up at the human, who had her eyes closed. The young woman held a smile that exuded genuine confidence and reassurance.

"I know Ise-itoko can do it." Leiko said quietly, "He _will_ succeed. I just know he will."

Ophis looked at her cousin-in-law momentarily, before she lowered her head.

* * *

><p><em>"My Issei. Why do you not want me to help you? Do you understand that I love you?"<em>

_Ophis' question was answered when she felt a pair of warm and soft lips press against hers. The Ouroboros Dragon's heart swelled up, and she found it hard to keep her lips around her mate's._

_Issei released his lips from Ophis, and without hesitation, placed his hand on her cheek._

_"I understand, Ophis." He answered solemnly, "I love you too. More than I can actually state right now."_

_"Then why do you wish to confront the supernatural all by yourself?" She asked, "You do not have to worry. I, shall protect you. You do not have to worry about being harmed."_

_"How can I be worthy of being your mate, if I'm only a burden to you?' Issei suddenly asked._

_Ophis widened her dark-gray eyes in response, and then narrowed them as she grabbed her mate by the collar. The tone in her next words were emotionless and yet carried an almost threatening undertone._

_"NEVER utter that question to me again." She warned, her voice toneless._

* * *

><p>Ophis shook her head at the memory between her and Issei. She deeply hated it when her mate often expressed his hidden depths. Those self-deprecation feelings that revealed themselves time to time.<p>

Before she had gotten enough time to actually get to know Issei, the Infinite Dragon God marveled over the personality of the son of Amaterasu. She didn't know how to describe her mate, until Leiko explained to her what type of person was.

Ophis' eyes lowered once more as she thought back.

'Cousin Leiko stated that my Issei has a inferiority complex. In which he is incapable of believing that he is anything more than useless. That he is not good enough. But why does my Issei feel that way? He has accomplished various achievements.'

The Ouroboros Dragon narrowed her eyes slightly as she tilted her head.

'Is it because he is a loner? I, do not know. Is it because he is always involved within a supernatural conflict, even when he is not doing anything to deserve that? Again, I do not know.'

Ophis looked up at Leiko, who sent her another reassuring smile.

'A burden. Is that why my Issei stated to me that he wanted to do everything by himself? So he would not have to depend on myself, Baka-Red, Shinigami, or the Omniversal Entity? Why doesn't my Issei understand that he is not a burden to us? He does not have to prove himself worthy to me. He-'

The Infinite Dragon God felt liquid drip onto her cheeks, and she lifted her hand up to her eye.

She was crying.

Issei didn't like it when she cried. He would always try to make sure she didn't cry, to make sure she would be happy.

Ophis moved her hand to her chest, feeling her heart beat even faster than before.

'My Issei. If you truly think you are a burden to me, then abandon that thought immediately. You are much more. You stated to me yourself that...'

* * *

><p><em>"Hmm. Well, I don't exactly know what aspect of Infinity I represent, but I do know this. I'm the Infinity that completely fills up Nothingness."<em>

* * *

><p>Ophis let out a faint gasp at the memory of what Issei said to her six months ago.<p>

Illogical as though that statement may have been, it made Ophis' heart flutter even more.

'You, are the Infinite that fills the Nothingness to the brim. That is what you are, my precious Issei.'

* * *

><p><strong>Earth - Kuoh Academy<strong>

"Hey, did it just get darker all of a sudden?"

"Dude, shut up! I'm trying to watch!"

"Bro, seriously! Look up at the sky!"

"Doing something important here!"

Motohama sent an annoyed glare towards his friend Matsuda, who was heavily distracted with his own priorities.

Peeping at the girls in the Kendo Club. The "Perverted Baldy" suppressed a giggle as he stared intently through the hole. Looking up at the sky, Motohama blinked several times before he tried to talk to his friend.

"Matsuda, you dumbass! I really think you should look up at the s-!"

Matsuda quickly turned around and glared at Motohama.

"Bitch, I do what I want!" He screamed.

"HEY!"

Matsuda quickly covered his mouth and backed away, all the while cursing Motohama to oblivion. The fence that separated the Perverted Duo and the Kendo Club was broken down as the girls glared down at the former.

Murayama, a member of said club, pointed her shinai towards Matsuda and Motohama, her calm face betraying her indignant anger. Katase raised her shinai, until she looked up at the sky.

"Hey, Murayama! Look up!"

Her anger towards the Perverted Duo momentarily fading, Murayama heeded to her friend's words. Her eyes widened in shock as she dropped her shinai.

"What the?!" She exclaimed.

Motohama rose an eyebrow and performed the same action.

"What?!

"See!" Motohama cried out to Matsuda, "I told you to look up!"

"What's going on with the sky?!" A girl of the Kendo Club asked.

"It's not nighttime already, right?" Matsuda asked worriedly.

"It can't be!" Motohama disagreed.

* * *

><p><strong>Hyoudou Residence<strong>

"Hmm. It got dark really quickly. That's strange."

"..."

"Honey?"

Mr. Hyoudou, his appearance unchanged even after the passing of six months, turned to look at his wife. Mrs. Hyoudou was sitting on the couch, holding a small picture frame. Her overall appearance exuded that of a loving yet concerned mother.

"Issei..."

Mr. Hyoudou sighed and sat next to his wife. He too was a bit saddened the day Issei moved out of the house. The young man had said his reason for doing so was not because he hated them. It was so they wouldn't be in any danger, as though his mere presence would bring more harm than good.

But of course they had no idea what Issei was talking about.

Sachiko Hyoudou wiped tears from her eyes as she looked at the picture of her and the toddler Issei. She was crouching in front of him, holding onto his arms. The day she taught him how to walk.

Sachiko placed her hand on her mouth as her lips trembled. With a shudder, she looked out of her house window, and her eyes softened as she remembered her husband's words.

"Our little Ise-chan always hated it when it was dark." She stated solemnly, "Whenever the Sun was down..."

Sachiko lowered her head as every memory of her and the toddler Issei resurfaced in her mind. She missed him deeply, hoping that one day...she could see him again.

'Issei...' Sachiko began in her thoughts, 'Please come back to us. If not...'

Mrs. Hyoudou sniffled and rubbed her eyes, holding the picture frame to herself tightly.

'We'll come over to Tokyo ourselves.'

**Yo.**

**Sorry for taking a long while, but college takes a lot out of you. I got midterms next week, so I really didn't have a lot of time for this week until today. But I did it, and I feel great.**

**As all of you can see, this chapter was basically about what happened as a result of the destruction of the Sun caused by Amenominakanushi. The fight between him and Issei is going to be next chapter, which I hope I can actually do after midterms.**

**Once again, no one is going to help Issei in his battle against Amenominakanushi. It's going to be the Solar God vs the Progenitor of Shinto Mythology.**

**Damn, Issei has a lot to do.**


	47. Breaking Point

**Yomi**

The blood-soaked aura that surrounded Issei pulsed violently, repelling the malevolent creatures of Yomi. The creatures hissed, recoiling from the enraged Solar God.

Issei's body trembled in response to sensing the panicking inhabitants of Earth, specifically Mitsuru and Sachiko Hyoudou. The thought of the people who had raised him brought an intense pain to his chest, a constant reminder of Issei's affinity to isolation. However, Issei chose to move to Tokyo for a reason, leaving Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou to themselves. It was the same reason Issei was often hesitant to spend any sort of time with Leiko.

The declining spiritual energy of Amaterasu didn't ease Issei's worries either. Not only were the people who lived on Earth suffering, but the life forces of Amaterasu and every other solar deity associated with the Sun were getting worse.

And it was all because of Amenominakanushi.

'Why?!'

Why were these supernatural entities after him? He had done nothing to them! All he wanted was to be left alone with his family! Was that truly too much to ask?!

It was bad enough that being a God who possessed the power of Dragons practically made him vulnerable to arrogant opponents. But to happen continuously to the point of threatening the part of his family who didn't have any powers to defend themselves (specifically Leiko and Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou), that was a low blow.

"Damn you…" Issei muttered, his voice deathly cold.

He was going to murder Amenominakanushi in the most brutal way possible. Many scenarios were playing out in the Solar God's mind, fueling his anger to the brink of irrationality.

Issei looked up and sent the glare towards the first Kami of Shintoism, who stared back impassively. As Amenominakanushi locked eyes with Issei, he lifted his gigantic hand, and closed it into a fist. He then opened his hand, gathering a large amount of colorless energy, an act which did not go unnoticed by the Solar God.

The Kami of Shintoism moved his hand towards the direction of Earth. Issei flew up quickly towards the portal to stop Amenominakanushi's attack. He raised his fist and collided it with the portal, only for it to simply clash against it. Issei tensed when he found that he had not phased through the portal as he had intended to. The Solar God looked to see Amenominakanushi's attack expanding, its size comparable to that of the massive Earth.

"Stop this, Amenominakanushi!" Issei roared.

The Shinto Kami gave no indication that he had heard Issei's words, and seemingly ignored him.

_{BOOST!}_

The crimson aura of the Red Dragon Emperor enveloped his wielder, doubling his power drastically. The power growth was apparent as Issei's muscles swelled up to compensate for the increase in strength. The force of Issei's pressure onto the portal caused the gateway to crack.

Issei cursed silently as he still didn't pass through. He wanted to get through the portal, not just shatter it!

_{BOOST!}_

"Damn it all!" Issei cursed as he manipulated Ddraig's power once more.

Issei manifested the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi into his left hand, and embedded it into the portal. The sword stopped at the touch of the gateway to Amenominakanushi.

_{BOOST! X4}_

With the power of Ddraig enveloping around it, the sharpness of the Kusanagi increased, causing the portal to shatter. Issei gripped his hold on the sword and increased his pressure on the edge of the weapon.

He looked up to see Amenominakanushi; whose head was turned to face the Earth. The Solar God gritted his teeth angrily as he noticed the Kami was still holding his energy sphere in place, as though taunting him.

"DAMN YOU!"

As though responding to Issei's scream, the sharp edge of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi tore through the portal completely, allowing the Solar God to pass through.

_{BOOST! X2}_

Using the power of Ddraig to enhance his speed, Issei speeded until he floated in front of the Earth itself. With the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon manifesting in his right hand, Issei crossed the blade with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The Dragons sealed within the respective swords made their presence known, their massive bodies seeping out of the swords.

The streams of energy that embodied Ddraig and the clone of Albion brightened the darkest parts of Space. The Yamata-no-Orochi was now in its true form; its eight heads protruding from its neck and its legs morphed into that of a long tail. Each Dragon peered down at Issei, waiting for him to continue.

"Are you guys ready?" He asked them.

_{Make sure you know what you're doing, partner.}_

_[Issssei. Pleasssse be careful.]_

_((Kid, are you sure about this?))_

Amenominakanushi, tired of toying with the young God, released his colorless energy blast in the form of a planetary sphere. The incoming attack edged closer to Issei, who quickly summoned a large shield to cover the front of the Earth. He couldn't cover it entirely, but it was the best he could do.

With the three Dragons' energies covering him, Issei brought his arms out to the side, wincing as Amenominakanushi's energy sphere came in contact with his skin. Issei grunted as the force of the attack began to push him towards the Earth. Narrowing his eyes, Issei manifested the silver aura of the Vanishing Dragon, and placed more pressure.

_((HALF DIMENSION!))_

As the call was made, the size Amenominakanushi's attack decreased drastically, giving Issei enough power to push the bomb away. The Solar God held onto the energy bomb with a grip. Both auras of the Welsh Dragon and the Yamata-no-Orochi flowed around Issei, which then increased the size of the bomb.

{_BOOST!_}

Amenominakanushi's energy bomb continued to expand past the size of the Earth. The Shinto Kami raised his head up, his expression unchanged.

'_**What is this foolish boy thinking? Why would he use the power of the Vanishing Dragon to diminish the size and structure of my energy blast, only to increase its size again? It does not make any sense.'**_

Issei gathered a pool of his own energy, trailing all the way to the energy blast. The excess of Issei's own energy radiated from Amenominakanushi's bomb in the form of large crimson waves. Amenominakanushi adopted a surprised look as his own energy bomb was turned against him.

The Solar God's pupils constricted as he released his converted attack, the vast stream of energy pulsating out from the bomb. The stream rushed towards Amenominakanushi, the edge of it growing more prominent.

The first Kami of Shintoism narrowed his glowing eyes darkly, and summoned a godlike shield to defend himself.

_**How dare you defy me!**_

With a growl, Issei clenched his right hand to his side, and placed his left hand on the bomb.

_((REFLECT!))_

With a pressurized push, the bomb, along with the stream of flowing energy, collided with the shielded Amenominakanushi. The Kami widened his eyes in clear astonishment as his shield started to crack. Issei increased his traveling speed as he placed more force onto the energy bomb.

"I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Issei bellowed.

Ddraig, Al, and the Yamata-no-Orochi lifted their heads up simultaneously, and gathered a large amount of their own unique energy in the form of a sphere. Seconds later, a gigantic energy sphere composed of deep black energy with crimson-silver outlines, manifested above them. The Dragons continued to pour more power into the bomb, its size rivaling that of Amenominakanushi's recent attack.

_RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_

With deafening collective roars, the Dragons released their attacks, colliding with the bomb that was pushing through the Shinto Kami's shield. With their attacks fueling the bomb, Amenominakanushi's shield broke apart, leaving him completely defenseless.

_**This cannot be! You are just a mere child!**_

Space itself was shaking from the tremors of the colossal damage. As Amenominakanushi's attack was used against him, the appearance of Space was starting to dissolve around him and Issei. The area was starting to grow brighter and luminescent.

"Gg-gh…!" Issei grunted, as the brightness was starting to irritate his eyes.

_**CHILD OF AMATERASU! I can assure you that your pitiful existence will not last long! You will not-**_

Amenominakanushi's words of apparent fury were cut off as his parts of his body broke off. The Shinto Kami's legs and arms disintegrated away, the pained look on his face completely noticeable. The portion of Amenominakanushi's body that broke apart dissolved into glitters of energy.

The brightness within Space intensified, almost blinding the Solar God and the three Dragons. The light enveloped both Issei and the shattering Amenominakanushi, covering the entire area of Space, until the light started to fade away.

* * *

><p>"Issei!"<p>

The voice who called out to him was worried, distressed, and concerned. It was a familiar voice that invaded his consciousness.

"Wake up! Please!"

His entire body shivered from the cold. He was lying with his back pressed against a rough surface. His left eye and the right eye that was covered by Medusa's Eye strained to open. No matter how much effort he took to open them, it was hard to do it.

"Issei! Come on!" The voice cried out again.

Damn it! Who was talking? He knew in his soul that he should have recognized the voice. He went to part his lips as he tried to speak, but his throat was sore. His voice wouldn't allow any opportunity to expel any noise. There was also the occasional lapse in consciousness, and it was difficult for him to get up.

"…"

"Issei! Please wake up!"

The voice was growing louder and more profound, allowing the vibration to fully reach his senses. His eyes slowly fluttered, with the Eye of Medusa preventing his right eye from seeing anything. With his left eye however, he only saw complete darkness. As he strained his eyes to focus his sight, he spotted a faint silhouette within the darkness.

The silhouette crouched down next to him and grabbed his head, moving it onto their lap. He strained the vision of his eyes to clear his sight. Long dark-brown hair that had a fringe, and crimson-ruby eyes…

"L-Leiko-san?"

"Issei!"

Issei jerked up at the familiar call, and his eyes opened completely wide to see Leiko Hyoudou staring down at him with a loving and concerned gaze.

'Leiko?!' He gasped in his thoughts.

He looked up at Leiko, and around his surroundings. How could Leiko have found him so fast? And how did Leiko get anywhere near him? Where the hell were they?

Leiko clutched her younger cousin's head as she rubbed his hair. She breathed heavily, love and worry shown in her gentle crimson-ruby eyes at the sight of her cousin.

"Oh Ise-itoko…" She said, "I finally found you! We were all so worried!"

Issei continued to stare in bewilderment at the sudden appearance of his cousin. Right away, he had the feeling that something wasn't right.

"L-Leiko-san," Issei began, "What are you doing here? How did you even find me?"

Leiko didn't have any superpowers; that much Issei knew. She also couldn't sense energies that were far beyond her level. So why was she here?

The elder Hyoudou stroked Issei's hair again, giving her cousin a soft smile.

"Great Red sent me here, Ise-itoko. I'm so glad we found you! Now we can go home!"

Issei gasped, not expecting to hear Leiko's answer. He quickly shot up, prompting Leiko to panic.

"Hold on! Let me help you up!"

"Leiko-san, wait! What do you mean 'we can go home'?"

Leiko stopped in her tracks and sent her cousin a confused glance.

"Ise-itoko, everything's okay now. Everyone is waiting at your house! Let's go!"

The Solar God's eyes were trembling. Not with tears, but with great uncertainty. Something definitely wasn't right.

"Why would everyone be at my house?" Issei asked, "The Earth is in danger!"

"I'm telling you, everything's good now!" Leiko exclaimed, her tone strangely impatient, "The world is back to normal, Ise-itoko!"

_{Partner! Be wary of her!}_

Issei couldn't agree more with the Red Dragon Emperor. Leiko wasn't acting as she usually did. Aside from her, there was something very nonsensical about Leiko's explanation.

First off, why would Great Red send _Leiko_ to bring Issei back? He could understand the Apocalypse Dragon sending Ophis to find him. Hell, he could understand Great Red sending Vali to retrieve him. But Leiko...

"Why?"

Leiko turned her head to gaze at Issei once more.

"Why what?" She asked.

"Why you? Why would Red send _you_ to find me, Leiko-san?"

The elder Hyoudou's confused look dissolved into an offended scowl as she placed her hand on her hips.

"What is that supposed to mean? I don't need you to save me all the time, Ise-itoko! I can take care of myself! Now let's go!" Leiko stated rather brusquely as she let go of his hand and sprinted off.

"…"

Issei knew it right then and there. This wasn't his cousin. The woman running ahead of him wasn't Leiko. As Issei went to stop her, he suddenly froze up. He could sense a vast energy signature nearby. It was not far away from where he and Leiko were standing. In fact, it seemed to be getting even closer.

Issei widened his eyes, and opened his mouth to warn the woman who shared his cousin's appearance.

"Hey! Look out!" He burst out.

Leiko turned her head around to look at Issei, and before she could acknowledge his words, a stream of colorless energy sprouted out from the ground.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Issei's ears rang at the scream of agony that Leiko brought forth. The streams tore through the woman's legs, slicing them in half. Several streams manifested and impaled through the woman's chest and throat, lifting her up. The energies then disappeared, causing her to fall onto the ground. Leiko cried out in pain, her breath shuddering. She whimpered as blood seeped out of her legs, her eyes wide in shock.

Issei's breath hitched in his throat as he stared at Leiko. Trembling, Leiko placed her hand over her mouth, coughing out blood. The woman caught sight of her blood, and looked up at the horrified Issei.

"Ise-itoko," she whispered. "I-I lo…"

Issei could not find his voice. He stared as the woman's head lay on the ground, her crimson-ruby eyes straining to stay open. Her eyes remained open, and suddenly, she was still.

Issei couldn't move. His body wouldn't respond to him. In spite of the fact that he was sure that it wasn't the real Leiko on the ground, the image still burned in his mind. The fact that the woman possessed the exact physical characteristics as her, wasn't making the scene any pleasant.

_**Do you understand now, child of Amaterasu? Perhaps you should have fled with that foolish mortal when you had the chance.**_

The Solar God came back to reality as the voice of Amenominakanushi called out to him. Issei's momentary lapse of confusion and horror was replaced by uncontrollable fury. The blood-soaked aura mixed with a blackish color manifested around his body.

"WHY YOU!" Issei bellowed out to the unseen Kami.

_**Did you truly think it was that simple, Issei Hyoudou? Using the powers of the Vanishing Dragon and the Red Dragon Emperor together?**_

Issei ignored the Shinto Kami's words, unable to control himself. The blood that formed in his aura started to seep onto his skin, with the blackish color of the aura covering his skin as well. His anger was growing to the point of insanity as he tried to regain his thinking.

Was the encounter with Leiko…an illusion that Amenominakanushi conjured up? It was difficult to determine that for sure. Was it truly Leiko? Great Red would have never sent Leiko to an area where she would get hurt easily…right?

...Wait. Of course! Even Great Red wasn't that reckless. Even if Leiko had wanted to come save him, the True Red Dragon God Emperor would have never sent her here.

It was definitely an illusion. It had to have been.

Issei's thoughts were confirmed when Leiko and her spots of blood were suddenly fading away from his sight.

_**Did I not tell you that your pitiful existence would be short?**_

"I'll make you eat those words!"

Issei's declare echoed throughout the cave-like structure that surrounded him.

_**I…am the solitary Kami that hides his presence. You will have to seek me first if you intend to defeat me, child of Amaterasu.**_

Issei's eyes twitched as he gathered his strength and flew through the darkness of the cave. No source of light could be seen, much to the Solar God's displeasure. It was as though he was flying through an endless tunnel.

* * *

><p>As he reached further, he paused in his flying, his eyes widening in disbelief. Instead of finding the end of the tunnel, there was another silhouette. The figure walked towards Issei slowly, and its facial structure was shown.<p>

"My little Sun! You're okay!" A sweet and motherly voice rang out.

Issei stared at the woman in front of him.

"Mom…" Narrowing his eyes further, he then shook his head. "No, hold on. You're not her."

Amaterasu tilted her head and smiled at him. She lifted her left hand and placed it on her chest, her smile becoming warmer.

"Issei...I'm so happy that you are well!"

Issei shuddered at the image of his mother. It couldn't have been her. It wasn't. Amenominakanushi destroyed the entire structure of the Sun! Even if his mother was extremely powerful, she still would have felt a bit weakened. And yet, there she was; standing in front of him with a healthy visage.

Amaterasu continued to smile at her son, and she walked further, until she was close enough to touch him. Tilting her head, Amaterasu clasped her son into a loving hug, not noticing, or ignoring her son's shudders.

Issei had to know. He had to know if this was really Amaterasu.

"This isn't right. You're just an image. Another illusion."

Amaterasu blinked several times in confusion.

"Honey? What's wrong? You can tell your mother what is troubling you."

Shaking his head, Issei removed himself from Amaterasu's embrace. The Sun Goddess blinked again and placed a hand on her cheek in confusion.

"Sweetie?" She asked.

Issei ignored the image of his mother's question, resolving to push forward. It was obvious that the Goddess behind him was merely an illusion. As Issei moved further, his pace was interrupted when his arm was suddenly grabbed by Amaterasu, whose expression hardened.

"Issei. Do not ignore your mother when she is speaking to you." She ordered in a regal and stern tone.

The Solar God narrowed his eyes as he glared at Amaterasu.

"…Be quiet." He muttered quietly.

Amaterasu widened her eyes and sent Issei a glare.

"How dare you! You will show your mother some respect!"

Before Issei could respond, he widened his eyes when a ghastly shadow appeared behind Amaterasu, its size increasing by the moment. While the Solar God noticed the figure, Amaterasu appeared to be unaware.

"Are you listening to me, Issei?" Amaterasu asked, her tone impatient.

Issei's body shook as the shadow materialized into a skeletal figure with burnt-red skin and lanky twisted limbs. It was none other than Izanami, in the form of the Yomotsugami. She stealthily reached to take hold of Issei. But suddenly, Izanami snatched hold of Amaterasu, who cried out in surprise.

"W-what?!" The Sun Goddess exclaimed.

"Why should my adorable little grandson listen to a wench like you?!" Izanami hissed, "MY grandson that _you_ abandoned by sending him to the Earth!"

Amaterasu gasped as she was lifted off the ground, prompting Issei to widen his eyes.

"Grandma!" He called out to Izanami.

Izanami paused in her movements and peered down at Issei, her limbs holding onto Amaterasu tightly. Her horrid appearance sent a familiar chill to the Solar God. Without warning, parts of Izanami's skeletal body shot out and gathered Issei into her grip.

"Stop this!" Issei shouted.

"Oh, I don't think so." Izanami cooed mockingly, "Didn't I tell you that your mother and everyone else was trying to take you away from me? As if I would let my adorable grandson escape from my clutches!"

Issei narrowed his eyes at Izanami's possessive tone, and looked up at Amaterasu, who appeared genuinely frightened of the Yomotsugami. Izanami was tightening her grip around her and Issei, leaving blood spots on each of them…

Wait…

How could Izanami be here with him? Or Amaterasu for that matter? He remembered ejecting Izanami out of Yomi, purifying her entirely from the effects of the Shinto Underworld. And Amaterasu was stuck with Ophis, Great Red, and the others. If that was true, then that meant…

"Hold on!" Issei exclaimed, "Not a single thing about this is real!"

As soon as he declared his words, Issei suddenly dropped onto the ground as the images of both Amaterasu and Izanami disappeared. The appearance of the cave remained unchanged; Issei had gathered that much. As he looked up, Issei felt his blood boil as he felt a palm pressed against his forehead.

The Kami had taken a different form, but Issei knew. He knew it was Amenominakanushi. The first Kami of Shintoism had taken the form of a silhouette with silver outlines. Amenominakanushi's glowing eyes narrowed as he placed more pressure on Issei's forehead.

Enraged beyond belief, Issei lowered his head, and with a bellow, released a massive amount of deep black energy that surrounded both him and Amenominakanushi. The Shinto Kami widened his eyes slightly, and transmitted away, leaving the Solar God to himself for the time being. With a huff, Issei canceled his attack, and glared all around him.

"I'll make you suffer for that!" He muttered darkly.

_**What an empty threat, Issei Hyoudou.**_

"I'm still going to find you," Issei replied angrily. "And when I do, I'm going to destroy you in the most brutal way possible!"

_**That will all depend if you ever escape from this endless tunnel.**_

Issei grunted and sped off towards the path he was interrupted from. He had to endure the idiotic hallucinations Amenominakanushi kept sending to him. So far, his predictions had been correct, in spite of the images successfully acting like the ones they were supposed to portray.

* * *

><p>It was very quiet during the sprint within the cave. With the only sounds passing Issei's ears were the stomping of his footsteps, and strangely…<p>

"My Issei!"

A faint call somewhere in the distance. Issei ignored the call, increasing his pace. He wouldn't allow Amenominakanushi's tricks to go to his head.

With an annoyed grunt, Issei continued to sprint within the cave. Every so often, he could have sworn he spotted a glimmer of brightness at the end of the tunnel. He felt the urge to dismiss it as another one of the Shinto Kami's hallucinations.

"Issei!"

And that voice was still calling him, becoming more profound and vocal.

"My Issei! Where are you, my precious mate?!"

Veins started to break out on Issei's cheeks as he clenched a fist. This time, he absolutely knew it was a trick. It was nowhere near a reality. Labored breathing soon rang in his ears, prompting Issei to move closer, yet not too fast. He spotted yet another silhouette coming towards him in a fast motion.

"My Issei! I have found you!"

Issei was immediately enveloped into a hug by the figure who had initiated the physical contact. The Solar God never moved, cautious to keep his guard up. The figure pulled away from Issei, with her hands on his cheeks. She gave him a warm and affectionate smile.

"I, am glad that my Issei is okay."

Silky long-black hair that cascaded down to her hips, dark-gray eyes, a pale body which was adorned by Gothic Lolita attire. Indeed, it was the image of his wife, the Ouroboros Dragon.

Ophis looked up and down at her mate, pulling him closer.

"I, apologize, my Issei," She said, "Baka-Red and I should have helped you. We were mistaken to let you carry out this task by yourself."

The image had already given herself away. For one thing, the first action the real Ophis would have done was to immediately take him away from this horrid place. After that, she would have planted almost an infinite amount of affectionate kisses onto his face.

Issei narrowed his eyes, his veins popping out all over his cheeks and forehead. It was bad enough that Amenominakanushi had used the image of Leiko, Amaterasu, and Izanami to toy with him. But for the Kami of Shintoism to manifest the image of Ophis…

That was a low blow.

"My Issei. What is wrong?" Ophis asked.

The veins became more prominent as Issei clenched his fists. The longer Amenominakanushi toyed with him, the overwhelming hatred Issei held for him only increased.

_**What's this? Are you not happy to see your wife, child of Amaterasu?**_

At the sound of the Shinto Kami's voice, the image of Ophis immediately faded away. Issei turned around, intense fury displayed across his face.

Amenominakanushi was going to suffer dearly for using Ophis' image to trick him.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He roared.

Out of all the beings Issei had faced, the Shinto Kami was perhaps the only deity to push him this far. A bellow of outrage and wrath tore from Issei's throat as he lunged towards the hidden Amenominakanushi, who adopted a stunned expression at being caught.

The first Kami of Shintoism was unable to defend himself as he was dragged onto the hard surface of the ground. The Solar God clasped his opponent by the throat with his right hand, and lifted his left hand into a fist. Struggling with a shocked and awe expression on his facial features, Amenominakanushi glared at Issei.

_**Such insolence from a mere Godling. Do you understand that if not for me, you, your mother, Izanami, and every other deity of Shintoism would never have come into existence? As it stands now, I AM YOUR GOD!**_

The last four words from Amenominakanushi struck a nerve through Issei, and the Solar God responded delivering a harsh blow to the Shinto Kami's face.

"You call yourself _my_ God?!" Issei yelled incredulously, "You will never be a true God in my eyes! That title's already been taken!"

The Shinto Kami lifted his arms up, trying to pry Issei's grip off of him. Narrowing his eyes, Amenominakanushi flung his hands onto Issei's shoulder, pushing him back. He then continued by kicking Issei in the stomach, successfully knocking him back. The Kami got back on his feet and lunged, grabbing Issei by the throat.

The Solar God moved his left hand, and delivered a punch towards the Kami's stomach repeatedly, trying to force him to let him go.

_**You have tried my patience for the last time, child of Amaterasu. Trapping you in the horrid realm of Yomi was going to be your only punishment. But it seems that you do not deserve even that. You deserve much worse.**_

Issei's response was to grip Amenominakanushi by his throat once more. The Kami looked up, and his eyes flickered for just a moment, unbeknownst to Issei. Suddenly, a swirling mass of complete darkness manifested behind Issei. The Kami narrowed his eyes as he mentally increased the size of the spiraling vortex.

Issei widened his eyes when he felt something pull him from behind. He turned around, his eyes widening further.

'What is that?'

_{Partner, move away immediately! That is a super-massive black hole!}_

'Black hole?!'

The Solar God attempted to push Amenominakanushi off of him, but the latter sent him a smug smirk. The Shinto Kami increased his grip on Issei's throat, and started to levitate as he neared towards the colossal black hole.

_**This is the end, Issei Hyoudou. There is no possible way you can survive.**_

Instead of panicking like Amenominakanushi expected him to, Issei merely gave the Kami a dark glower, with more veins popping out of his cheeks and forehead.

"That's what you think, you poor excuse for a God!" The Solar God threatened ominously.

The first Kami of Shintoism lost whatever restraint he had, and with an audible growl, he leaned his body back, and threw Issei towards the black hole. The Solar God didn't even utter a single scream. As he neared towards the black hole, Issei gave one last glower towards Amenominakanushi, and only said only five words.

"That…was a bad…mistake." He hissed, before the super-massive force consumed him, creating an explosion so vast that the cave immediately imploded upon itself.

* * *

><p>Amenominakanushi, making sure that the Solar God was completely finished, waved his hand, allowing the area around him to form into Space. As the Kami of Shintoism looked around his surroundings, he looked down to see the Earth, still in living condition. With a stoned gaze, he lifted only a finger, gathering a small amount of energy.<p>

_**What a foolish Godling. He genuinely believed he could defeat a God such as myself. Declaring that he was going to destroy me? What a worthless endeavor.**_

Amenominakanushi gathered more energy from his finger, and he set it directly towards the Earth. Before he ejected it, the Kami paused his movements, suddenly sensing a small but noticeable presence.

_**What is this? I sense…hundreds of energy signatures.**_

The signatures weren't that of the people of Earth, or the deities at Mount Kailash.

Wait…

The numbers of energy signatures were increasing! What was going on?!

_**Black holes are the remnants of large stars that implode upon themselves in a supernova explosion. The object occurs when large stars explode at the end of their lives. If that is the case then why am I sensing such a large quantity of power levels? It is impossible for anything to escape from the clutches of a black hole.**_

…Wasn't it?

_You made a huge mistake, you piece of trash._

Amenominakanushi widened his eyes, canceling his attack.

_**That voice! It was overlapped with other voices. This cannot be! Where are the voices coming from?!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, guys. I'm finally back, and glad to be so. Midterms took so much life out of me. <strong>

**Now before some of you rage on me, I just want you to know that I wasn't backing myself into a corner or anything while writing this chapter. I in no way used the super-massive black hole attack as a Deus Ex Machina, or whatever that term is called. So not to worry.**

**If you guys ever have time, I would suggest you search up information about black holes. Also, search up Stephen Hawking's theory about Black Holes. Not all of next chapter is going to based on Hawking's theory, or the general information about black holes, but only some.**

**Since I'm in such a generous mood, and a little tired, I'll give you guys just one hint: **

**The Sun is the massive star at the center of the Solar System. Issei had the ability to absorb the entire Sun into his life force. This also means that he has the ability to absorb any star. And if you guys remember what was said about black holes in this chapter, and on the internet...**

**Yep. I've already said enough.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll hopefully see you next chapter!**

**See ya! **

**Read & Review :)**


	48. The Desperate Survival of the Solar God

**Kuoh Academy - Azazel's Laboratory**

For the longest time on Earth, the sky was much darker even though it was only noon. The weather on Earth was also colder compared to the previous temperatures. The students and staff of Kuoh Academy had long ago abandoned the school, and took safety in their homes. However, only one person was still trapped in the school.

"Day fourteen…still in here."

Fallen Angel Azazel had to give Serafall and her power some credit. She was definitely the strongest female Devil in the Underworld, so anyone knew not to be hesitant with her. Her playful and childish nature betrayed how much power she wielded. Then there were her ice-based powers, more specifically the Celsius Cross Trigger technique.

Azazel thought it was insane that Serafall's technique managed to remain intact even though the creator had been gone for two weeks. He wondered why Serafall never even bothered to free him from her ice trap. She couldn't have been that angry for what he did to Issei. For goodness sake, it was unintentional on his part.

So yeah, he had been trapped in his own laboratory for two weeks.

"Where on Earth are Raynare and the rest of the Fallen Angels? Or even Asia? Don't they realize I've been gone for a while?"

He was seriously wondering that. They had to have noticed his absence by now. That, or they just didn't care.

Azazel sighed and turned his head towards the window; his head being the only part of his body that he could actually move. He narrowed his eyes at the change in weather and the appearance of the sky. Clicking his tongue, Azazel looked down at his ice entrapment.

"The freezing from out there is passing into this room, which does not work well in my advantage. I need to find some way to get out of here. Or someone. But no one's sane enough to come to this school, especially at the temperature rate of this weather."

"*Cough!* *Cough!*"

The Fallen Angel widened his eyes as he heard the echo of rough coughing. He made a grimace as he heard slow but faint approaching footsteps. Azazel closed his eyes as he sensed the nearing energy signal. His eyes opened again and grew wide in astonishment.

'This strength! It's overwhelming enough to the point of bringing me chills! I don't recognize this wielder at all!'

He could hear the steps getting closer to his area of Kuoh Academy. Azazel adopted a calm and laid-back face as the door to his laboratory opened, revealing a silhouette. Sporting a smile, Azazel took an opportunity to greet the walker.

"Hello there. I'd offer to shake your hand, but I'm a little 'frozen' at the moment."

"…"

Azazel blinked at the lack of response.

"…Hello?"

The silhouette walked forward, allowing Azazel to fully see the figure.

'A woman?'

The first thing he noticed was that the woman was extremely tall. Her skin was pale, as well as her physical stature being thin. She had long black hair, and had a few long and frayed strands of hair that fell across her face. She was also clad in a white robe. Her half-lidded eyes were a deep purple with a hint of blue.

* * *

><p><strong>Izanami P.O.V.<strong>

It was hard for her to leave Takamagahara, her original home. Remaining at the area only brought back painful memories, and she could no longer sense her grandchild within Yomi, bringing even more stress to her. The woman never pictured herself as someone who could be feel so overprotective over someone she had endlessly stalked.

Now that she was free from the clutches of Yomi, the woman felt extremely tired. She was still weakened from the effects of Issei's purification, making her travel to Earth a rough effort. The cold atmosphere reminded her of Yomi. So much that it made her shudder.

As the woman looked at the man, her eyes remained the same, though a sense of slight unfamiliarity revealed itself. With her consciousness fused with that of the supernatural, the woman had knowledge of anyone Issei had come in contact with. So she knew who the frozen man was. Not as a person, but enough to know that her 'adorable little grandson' was familiar with the Fallen Angel.

Good. That was all she needed to know. She didn't have an interest in Azazel, neither platonic nor romantic. She knew him through Issei, and she'd leave it at that.

At the moment, she would admit that she was overly concerned about Issei, and partly the Earth. After all, she was the Shinto Goddess of _Creation_ and _Death_!

It was in her nature.

* * *

><p><strong>Space<strong>

Pain. Constant agony. The point of unending suffering and discomfort that only increased the more he tried to endure it.

Oh god, did the young man really hate that feeling.

Rage and fury rose within him, growing and growing, and growing until he could barely contain it. His entire body was disintegrating from the black hole, that much he would acknowledge. It was an intense feeling that began deep within his bones, the pain exploding through his skin and through his pores.

The devastating power and forceful pressure of the black hole was slowly consuming his flesh, revealing his bones. Along with his flesh, his clothes had been ripped, allowing even more of the bony structure to be seen. The only parts of him that retained the flesh were his face and the upper half of his body.

And he was so angry. So very, very angry. No matter how much he tried to focus and calm himself down, it was never enough. Rage, fury, irritation, wrath. So intense, so so painful.

The images of Amenominakanushi's illusions invaded his mind constantly. The illusions of Leiko's death, and the images of Amaterasu and _Yomotsugam_i-Izanami were enough to fuel the wrath that burned him from the inside out.

But Ophis. Not _his_ Ophis. The _image_ of Ophis, leading him into a false sense of security. The _image_ of Ophis, an illusion created by Amenominakanushi in order to shatter more of his sanity and hope.

Stop this! Stop thinking about it!

He couldn't stop. He _wouldn't_ stop. A person could only take so much bullshit for what happened to them. He was tired of everything, and he was going to make Amenominakanushi pay for what he did!

Of course the black hole that was consuming his body begged to differ. In spite of the intense pain and situation he was trapped in, he wasn't worried in the least about his death. He made an absolute promise that he was going to come back to Ophis. There was no way in hell he was going to break it.

It would be difficult, he wouldn't deny that. But nothing was impossible. As clichéd as that sounded, the young man found himself a little less sane to believe it anyway. He didn't want the 'Above' Entity, Death, Ophis and Great Red to help him at all. He could do this. He had to.

_{Partner…!}_

_((G-guhhhh!))_

_[I-it hurtssss!]_

Damn it! Now Ddraig was in pain. It wasn't hard for him to deduce that the clone of the Vanishing Dragon and the Yamata-no-Orochi were suffering as well.

Stop it! Think! Think!

He had to think. There was no doubt. He knew his body couldn't survive from the pressure of the black hole. He was physically and partially mentally weak at the moment.

'Tch.'

Yep, he knew his body would slowly be destroyed and sent to Yomi.

…Wait a moment.

'Yomi!'

The Shinto World of Darkness! The realm which Izanami-no-Mikoto ruled after Izanagi-no-Mikoto abandoned her within!

The young man suddenly had an idea.

'Black holes…they're supposed to be stars, right? Well, stars that have collapsed onto themselves!'

Perhaps a brilliant plan. It wasn't guaranteed to work, but what else could he do? If it worked, then he could give Amenominakanushi the beating of a long time. If it didn't…

'No! It'll work! I promised Ophis I would come back for her! The thought of her trying to resurrect me _again_ isn't something I want to go through! I can do this! I can take care of myself!'

It was an enraged pep talk, but a pep talk nonetheless. Struggling to lift his non-fleshed hands, Issei summoned the manifestations of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon. As he brought the swords together, a culmination of crimson and silver-white energy flowed around them, releasing a faint but noticeable light. The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon fused into the axe-like appearance of the Vanishing Kusanagi.

'Ddraig. Al. Orochi-chan.'

It had to work. It was a huge risk, but he was certain it could work. Hopefully the idea he was about to propose wouldn't sound too far-fetched towards the Dragons. His body was close to nonexistence, so he had to act quickly.

_{(([Issei?]))}_

'Ddraig, I need you to do something! Transfer some of your power over to Al! You too, Orochi-chan!'

_{Partner, what are you thinking?!}_

_((I agree! The Two Heavenly Dragons possess counteracting abilities for a reason, Issei! Do you not remember the first time you combined our powers? That was why my original incarnation suggested I take the form of a sword as an extension of your power!))_

'Look! At this rate, my body won't survive upon impact from the black hole! I know you guys felt the strain before I summoned you! My physical body won't make it, but you guys might be able to!'

_{Partner, what are you talking about?!}_

'Al, use the _Compression Divider_!'

_((What?!))_

'You heard me! Use _Compression Divider_, and use your _Divide_ ability to absorb some of the remaining remnants of the black hole! It might be useful! Eventually.'

_((What makes you think that is possible?! How on Earth could you have formulated that plan into your head, Issei?!))_

'Do you know what causes a black hole, Al?'

_((Don't insult my intelligence!))_

_{Just answer the question, damn it! On second thought, I will! Black holes are caused when the center of a massive star collapses upon itself. The result is a supernova, or an exploding star.}_

'That's right!'

_((So what are you getting at kid?))_

'The Sun is a massive star, right?! And I was able to absorb that massive star during my battle against Yoru! I can't absorb anything right now, because a black hole is _currently shredding my body as we speak_! But if Al can compress the black hole, he might be able to absorb it!'

_((Kid, don't be a fool! I've never absorbed or compressed something that carried that much mass before! I'm fairly certain my original incarnation hasn't performed that action either!))_

"Gah!" Issei cried out as he felt the black hole closing in on him.

Damn it! Why did he have to persuade his Dragons at a time like this?! He wasn't a dictator or anything, but still his life was on the line.

LITERALLY!

'That's why both Ddraig and Orochi-chan are going to transfer their power to you! You Dragons are formed out of vast energies, right?! Ddraig and Orochi-chan should be more than enough to increase the effects of your abilities, Al!'

Issei winced as he felt the black hole reaching up towards his upper body. God, the pain was unbearable! His body was breaking off into nothingness!

"DO IT! NOW!" He screamed.

_((COMPRESSION DIVIDER!))_

A silver-white aura manifested around the Vanishing Kusanagi, the ethereal ambiance surrounding the space within the black hole. The clone of the Vanishing Dragon made sure to exclude Issei from his compression ability.

Issei looked around the vast space he was surrounded in, feeling a seething anger as he realized the black hole barely budged in decreasing.

"Ddraig! Orochi! Now!" Issei ordered.

_{[TRANSFER!]}_

This time, the crimson-black auras of the Welsh Dragon and the Yamata-no-Orochi covered the Vanishing Kusanagi, melding with the aura of the cloned Vanishing Dragon.

_((Guh?! What's this?!))_

"Keep doing what you're doin-GAH!" Issei hissed.

The Solar God looked down to see that the black hole was indeed narrowing down. However, it was now closing on him _quickly!_

'Damn it!' Issei swore, 'I didn't think about that! Well at least this way, Ddraig, Al and Orochi-chan have a possible way of getting out of this thing! But I don't! There's no chance of me escaping because the force is too strong! What do I do?!'

The super-massive black hole was edging closer and closer to Issei, prompting him to quickly think of a solution.

Come on! He had thought of back-up plans before! Sure, they were at the wrong time at the most, but at least he actually thought of the plans! He knew he wasn't going to Death's Domain, since the Shinigami had taken him there in order to drive off Izanami. So he was obviously going to Yomi.

Amenominakanushi had trapped him in Yomi after he broke Izanami out. But Issei wasn't worried. He could just break out of Yomi again, unless the Shinto Kami had a back-up plan as well.

…No of course he didn't.

But that didn't matter. He had to find some way to get an advantage!

'Damn! What is there to do? It's not like I could be at two places at-!'

…Him and his big mouth.

Would it work? Could it truly work? How would he go about doing it?

Issei looked towards the glowing Vanishing Kusanagi as the black hole reached to his chest. Wincing at the pain, Issei tightened his left handed grip on the combined sword. Gritting his teeth, Issei summoned what little energy he had left (courtesy of Amenominakanushi; the bastard), and watched as his blood-soaked aura flowed around the sword.

_{…Partner?}_

'Ddraig. I need you to try something else.'

_{Tell me now, Issei! While you still have part of your upper half!}_

'Transfer my energy!'

_{What?!}_

'You heard me, Ddraig! It might not work, but I need you to try! I'm going to need you to trust me! Transfer a portion of my soul into the Vanishing Kusanagi!'

_{Issei, you have no idea what repercussions that could occur If you go through with this!}_

'Ddraig, just do it! It's better than doing nothing and just _thinking_ on what's going to happen! There isn't much time, so please!'

_{Partner…for your sake, make sure you know what you're doing. Don't you dare die on us! __TRANSFER!}_

The blood-soaked aura of Issei that spread around the Vanishing Kusanagi started to glow, the energy bonding to the weapon. As Issei sighed in fatigue, his eyes started to grow heavy. They quickly opened wide when the black hole came in contact with Issei's shoulders.

"K-k-kuh!" Issei's words stunted in his throat at the pain.

_{PARTNER!}_

'Don't worry! Just keep adding power to Al, Ddraig! The black hole is decreasing! So by the time it's done, you and the rest of the Dragons can manifest near Amenominakanushi!'

_[But Issssssei. What about you?]_

'Orochi-chan, I'll be-GAHHH!'

The Solar God cried out in pain as the black hole consumed up to his mouth, rendering him silent. His face, shoulders, and head started to disintegrate into oblivion. He found that his eyesight was getting blurry. Nor did he have the strength (or ability) to even talk.

With nobody left to hold it, the Vanishing Kusanagi floated in its space, the Dragons sealed within it affecting the super-massive black hole. As the black hole swallowed Issei completely, the Solar God, in the midst of extreme agony, allowed himself a hopeful thought.

'I told that piece of trash he made a huge mistake. I told him I couldn't be destroyed. Part of me will be taking residence in the Vanishing Kusanagi, while the rest of me will be going to Yomi. I don't know what the portion of my soul is going to do, but if I truly know myself, Amenominakanushi is going to regret ever crossing paths with me!'

His consciousness was starting to fade away, the last aspect of himself that he could actually feel. If not for the bittersweet emotion, he would have prided himself on lasting this long.

'Ophis…wait for me. It might take a little longer, but I _will_ come back to you. I swear it!'

With those words of declaration, Issei Hyoudou disappeared within the lethal mass of emptiness.

* * *

><p>The black hole continued to condense itself, melding into the Vanishing Kusanagi. The combination of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon shook in tremors as it absorbed the large mass of the black hole, causing the area of their location to morph into that of Space.<p>

The sword floated around outer space, its movement only caused by the flowing motion. The Welsh Dragon, Vanishing Dragon, and the Yamata-no-Orochi may have been sealed within the sword, but that didn't mean they had the power to control the movement, much to their own dismay.

_{Damn it, partner! What was he thinking?!}_

_((Oi! That was far too painful to absorb! But damn it, the kid was right.))_

_[Dragonsssss. Look.]_

_{What is it, Yamata-no-Orochi?}_

_((…What on Earth?))_

Surrounding the vast area of Space were an indefinite number of massive luminous spheres of plasma, each gliding towards the Vanishing Kusanagi.

_{The-they're stars.}_

_((Why are they drawn to us? I'm not trying to absorb them. Are you?))_

_{I don't share your power, clone of Albion. And neither does the Yamata-no-Orochi. But you bring up a good point. Why are we the main attraction of these stars?}_

_/You made a huge mistake, you piece of trash./_

_{…}_

_((…))_

_[…]_

_**That voice! It was overlapped with other voices. This cannot be! Where are the voices coming from?!**_

_{Amenominakanushi! He's nearby!}_

_((Well no shit, Ddraig! But to more pressing matters, did you hear that? It sounded like-))_

_/ Your luck has run out this time! You'll regret ever meeting me, Amenominakanushi! You'll wish I killed you the first moment we met!/_

_{Partner?}_

_Ddraig…transfer a portion of my spirit into the Vanishing Kusanagi!_

_{…Is this what he meant?!}_

Amenominakanushi snarled as he looked around his surroundings. The overlapping voices bored into his consciousness, awakening a feeling of emotion that he wasn't comfortable with. He looked up and grunted as he watched something that confused him to no end.

_**The indefinite stars that reside in Space…they're pulling towards a specific location that is far away from where I am. Where are they going?**_

His curiosity piqued, Amenominakanushi followed the path of the stars, his attempt to destroy the Earth put off for the moment. As he sped forward, the Shinto Kami let out a gasp as he spotted the familiar weapon of the Solar God.

_**Impossible! I sense the Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi! But how did they escape?! Nothing can escape a black hole! NOTHING!**_

This was so humiliating! He thought he had finally gotten rid of the son of Amaterasu and his allies, but apparently he hadn't! What did it to take to end the life of that little brat?!

Narrowing his glowing eyes, Amenominakanushi raised his hand above his head, gathering his energy in the form of a colorless energy sphere. He rapidly added more of his godlike power into the sphere, causing it to expand in terms of power and size. Turning his attention towards the Vanishing Kusanagi, Amenominakanushi threw his hands forward, sending his attack to the weapon.

As the sphere sped towards the Vanishing Kusanagi, a massive black hole suddenly manifested in front of the sword. Amenominakanushi widened his eyes when the black hole consumed his attack, allowing the Vanishing Kusanagi to remain unharmed.

_**What is this sorcery?! I didn't summon a black hole! Was it the sword?**_

This was all so confusing! Unbeknownst to him, the Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi were perplexed as well.

_{Clone of Albion, did you summon that black hole?}_

_((No, I didn't! I thought either you or the Yamata-no-Orochi had used it to defend ourselves!))_

_[No.]_

_{Then who?!}_

Amenominakanushi continued to stare with wide eyes, trying to make sense of the situation. Suppressing a growl, he gathered another portion of his energy and directed it at the sword. However, much like the first attempt, the result was the same. Another black hole appeared and absorbed the Shinto Kami's attack.

…_**What is going on here?!**_

_/KILL! SUFFER! BRUTALIZE! DESTORY! CRUSH! SHATTER!/_

The Shinto Kami narrowed his eyes at the voice directed towards him. He could tell that the tone was growing unhinged with each word. He let out an air of dissatisfaction at his predicament.

_**The manifesting black holes will constantly appear when I try to eliminate Issei Hyoudou's weapon. If that is the case then…**_

The first Kami of Shintoism turned his attention to the Earth, looking at it intensely. Standing still for a moment, Amenominakanushi abruptly transmitted away, and reappeared closer to the planet. He held out the index finger of his left hand, and summoned a colorless energy beam. With a scowl, the Shinto Kami fired his attack towards the Earth.

Then suddenly, he summoned more energy spheres in the form of volley barrages and shot them towards the planet. Seconds later, the same number of black holes appeared and captured each and every energy blast, much to Amenominakanushi's annoyance and disappointment.

_**Humph. So more than one black hole can be summoned.**_

Clenching his fists, Amenominakanushi turned his head to the direction of the Vanishing Kusanagi, noticing that the stars were now flowing around the sword.

_**What is that sword doing? Is it absorbing the stars?**_

His question was answered when the Vanishing Kusanagi began to emit a multi-colored aura. The rays of energy sent out spirals that aligned themselves with the stars. Suddenly, a beam of the same colored aura shot out from the sword, and formed itself in front of the object. The stars that formed around the sword now clung to the energy.

Amenominakanushi looked on in astonishment as the multi-colored energy began to change into a blood-soaked aura, and morph into a physical being whose entire body was solid black. Clad on the body were tiny black hole-like fragments.

_**Strange. This…form. It imitated the physical form of Amaterasu's child. But his body was destroyed by the black hole I sent upon him.**_

_{…This can't be! Am I seeing the right thing?}_

The solid black entity looked behind him to glance at the glowing Vanishing Kusanagi. Narrowing his eyes, he picked the sword up, and directed it towards the shocked Amenominakanushi.

_**I do not understand! You're not the son of Amaterasu! He perished from the black hole! Who are you?!**_

_/…/_

_**Answer me-GAH?! What this?!**_

Amenominakanushi gasped in surprise as the formidable power of the axe-like Vanishing Kusanagi penetrated his stomach.

_((DIVIDE!))_

_**WHO ARE YOU?!**_

The solid black entity moved his head up to face the Shinto Kami. For a moment, he stopped moving, and then…

_/The portion of his soul that he infused within the Vanishing Kusanagi has finally been released./_

_**?!**_

Amenominakanushi felt his reply die within himself. What did his opponent just say?

Narrowing his eyes until they were almost closed, the portion of Issei's soul grabbed the Shinto Kami by the arm and lifted up the Vanishing Kusanagi, slicing it clean off. Amenominakanushi cried out as he grasped onto his shoulder.

_**IMPOSSIBLEEEEEEE!**_

_/…Now the real fun can start./_

* * *

><p><strong>Yomi<strong>

If there was one thing that Amenominakanushi was actually right about, it was that the creatures of Yomi required a ruler to maintain stability. The Shinto World of the Underworld exuded a darker appearance, with the creatures lost in their rampage.

The sky had darkened to a crimson color, with the pile of skeletons that Izanami once sat upon raised up higher.

"...Can't believe I'm back here again." A voice muttered.

He was disappointed to discover that his flesh hadn't regenerated at all. His clothes, though ripped, had manifested upon him as soon as he awakened. What remained of his face was a skull covered with marks of crimson blood.

"I can't feel anything. Not even Yomi itself."

The young man felt that he should have felt _something_. He couldn't feel the clothes he was wearing, or the lethal aura of Yomi itself. His body was destroyed completely. He had experienced death before, so perhaps that was the reason he was so calm.

Issei Hyoudou was silent as he looked behind himself, directing his sight toward the exit of Yomi. The path was much darker than he remembered, but he wasn't deterred.

"So it worked then." He said quietly, "I haven't faded away completely because a piece of my soul is in the sword."

It was a last minute risk, but he had done it. Now he just had to escape Yomi again, travel to Space, merge with the portion of his soul to make himself whole again, give Amenominakanushi the beating of a lifetime, and share a long kiss with Ophis.

"In that order." Issei reminded himself.

As he walked towards the exit of Yomi, Issei adopted a small smile, his skull forming a menacing grin.

"Absorbing a black hole huh?" He began, "I never thought it would lead to becoming a black hole myself."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys, what's up. Been awhile. Had a lot of family stuff to deal with, but I'm back. I got my driver's license over the break, so that was a good day for me. Um...don't really have anything to say. But I hope you liked this chapter.<strong>

**Read and Review :)**


	49. The Final Plan of the Solar God

**Yomi**

"It's a good thing I'm aware of what my other self is doing. Just have to make sure he doesn't overdo it and end up damaging something important."

Issei calmly walked up towards the closing exit of Yomi, his pace even and unhesitant. It wasn't going to be a challenge to escape from the realm of Yomi, given that he had broken himself and Izanami out.

But now, he had even _more_ things to think about. While his black hole personification was busy with Amenominakanushi, he had to do something about the Earth and the rest of the sun-related deities.

He himself couldn't create a new Sun, not with his spiritual body, or even his other self's form. That black hole transformation was a force that could potentially destroy anything at this point.

"The Earth doesn't really have a lot of time left. And neither do Mom and the others. Not to mention even Gaia and the other Earth deities. They're the personifications of the planet after all. Damn it!"

As he looked up, Issei spotted the bright light of the cave, indicating that he was near the exit of Yomi. He adopted a small wistful smile, his skeleton once again sporting a frightening smirk.

"Every time I solve a problem, there's always something to accompany it. So…how am I going to solve this one? I can't ask Ophis-hime or Brother Red to help me. I most _definitely_ won't ask Kami or Shinigami-san to help me too. At this point, it's a little unnecessary for them to intervene."

He then stopped in his tracks as he noticed the rest of what he had just said.

"Ophis-_hime_?" He questioned himself, "Huh. So this is what it's like to express myself and give her a pet name. A-anyway…"

Issei increased his walking speed, trying to get his mind back on track.

"All right, what can I do? What can I do?" He repeated to himself, "Ddraig and the rest of the Dragons are stuck with my other self, so there's no sense in contacting them. Grandma's still weak from the purification, so even if I knew where she was, which I do, there's no point in trying to communicate with her. Hmm. So the Dragons and Izanami are out of the question."

The Solar God directed his sight towards the bright light closing in on him, and he found himself in front of a large boulder.

"…Just like last time." Issei sighed before rearing his fist back.

* * *

><p><strong>Takamagahara<strong>

As a result of the impact caused by the collision between Issei's fist and the boulder, the light released an even brighter illumination. Walking out of Yomi silently, Issei allowed himself to release a deep sigh at the sight of Takamagahara. The home he supposedly originated from.

"With the Sun gone, Mom and every other solar deity continue to grow weaker. So they need to be healed as soon as possible."

He suddenly looked up in shock as a thought popped up in his mind.

"Healed!" He exclaimed, "Yes, of course! Healing! I need something that can restore them to their natural energies! But nothing on Earth can do that! Not that I know of anyway!"

Issei could feel the wheels turning in his mind, feeling yet another exaggerated plan form in his head. Even Great Red would have been a little proud of him for being able to made plans off the top of his head.

'Nothing on Earth! But what about in the Underworld?'

"…Phoenix Tears!"

The Phenex Clan! Of course! Why oh why did it take him this long to think of a plan?! The Phoenix Tears could help revitalize Amaterasu and the others, and in doing so could regenerate the Sun. Excellent! It was the perfect plan! He just needed someone to get them!

"But who?"

* * *

><p><strong>Mount Kalish<strong>

Shiva, the God of Destruction could do nothing but stare in shock and confusion as he watched Surya, the Hindu deity of the Sun breathe heavily while shaking in his arms. Time seemed to be going almost frighteningly slow as Shiva looked down at the crowd of his fellow deities. Looking back to the faint aura of Surya, Shiva tried to rouse his friend.

"What about the Sun, Surya? What has happened?"

"It has been destroyed, Shiva-dono." A calm and warm voice uttered.

The God of Destruction turned around to see his wife Parvati walk towards him.

"What?!" He exclaimed, "Who on Earth would have enough malice to destroy the massive star!"

"…Someone who obviously has a grudge against the child of Shinto."

* * *

><p><em>((Humph. So it is true…))<em>

Vali Lucifer clenched his fists at Albion's words. That would explain why the solar deities were collapsing. He felt even worse due to his reluctant worry of his rival.

_((You're concerned about Ddraig's host?))_

'Not now, Albion! Damn it! The destruction of the Sun! How does that even happen?'

_((That would also explain why we can't sense the presence of Issei Hyoudou.))_

'But you can sense your other self, right?'

_((Of course I can. I can also sense Ddraig and the Yamata-no-Orochi.))_

The host of the Vanishing Dragon let out a bitter sigh as he looked down at the fallen form of Amaterasu.

'Then Hyoudou is still alive. He has to be!'

"Ama-chan! Stay with me!"

Vali winced at the worried tone of Gaia's voice. The Greek Goddess of the Earth was cradling Amaterasu in her arms.

"I-it hurts!" She cried out, adding more to Gaia's distress.

"Don't worry! It's going to be all right!"

"Just lay down!"

The rest of the supernatural creatures, including Gabriel and Serafall went on to comfort the Shinto Goddess of the Sun and the Universe.

"Tch! Pathetic…"

Light-blue eyes immediately set themselves onto the scowling figure of Yoru. The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto looked down at his aunt, his expression bordering on a combination of sympathy and disgust. Vali glared at his rival's cousin, seconds to blowing off at him. Until…

_/Vali! Can you hear me?\\_

The Devil/Human hybrid widened his eyes in surprise at the sound of the familiar voice.

'Rival?!'

_/Ah, finally! It worked! I almost thought it wasn't going to-!\\_

'Hyoudou, what is happening?! And where the hell are you?!'

_/Look, I don't have time to explain everything, so listen! I need you to go to the Underworld and retrieve something for me!\\_

'The Underworld?! No! _You_ listen, Rival! We're all on Mount Kalish, and we're just now learning that the Sun has been destroyed!'

_/Don't you think I know that?\\_

'Where the hell are you, Hyoudou?! This isn't the time for you to be absent!'

_/Oh, I'm sorry! Please forgive me for trying to kill the most annoying douche bag I've had the greatest displeasure of facing!\\_

'…'

_/Now listen. The idiot I'm currently fighting is all the way up in Space. I'm about to meet up with him and beat him to a bloody pulp. While I'm doing that, someone's going to have to reenergize the Earth, along with the deities of the Sun. That's where you come in, Vali.\\_

'…And yet another one of these convoluted plans of yours. Well, hurry up and explain them while we still have time.'

_/All right. Go to the mansion of the Phenex Clan in the Underworld, and tell them that you need some Phoenix Tears. Then, bring the tears back to Mount Kalish and heal everyone who's been weakened.\\_

'This plan sounds really convoluted, Rival.'

_/Oh, really? Then explain why even though I was initially a Solar God, I've now become a being who has the physiology of a black hole!\\_

'…A black hole?'

_/I-I'll explain later! Now please, just hurry!\\_

* * *

><p><strong>Space<strong>

Amenominakanushi looked upon the soul, almost in hysterics on how the son of Amaterasu once again managed to escape death. He couldn't understand why the child was so adamant on living. The Sun was destroyed, so soon Amaterasu and the rest of the Earth would perish. What on Earth was that brat fighting for?

The Kami of Shintoism gave the soul of Issei Hyoudou a murderous glare, an act which might have even put Izanami's Yomotsugami form to shame. Unfortunately, the act was not enough to stir any feelings of terror or submission within the Solar God's soul.

_**Why?! Why won't you die, Issei Hyoudou?! Don't you understand that you cannot get away with everything you have done?! Every action, every foolish thing you have done cannot go unpunished! Why is it so hard for you to acknowledge that you deserve what is coming to you?! Even dea-!**_

_/SHUT THE HELL UP!/_

The soul of Issei Hyoudou bellowed as he teleported towards Amenominakanushi and lifted his arms up, quickly bringing them down upon the Kami's skull.

_**G-guh?!**_

Soaring back from the impact, Amenominakanushi was in shock at the audacity of his opponent's actions. In hindsight, he should have expected Issei's soul to retaliate like that. The Shinto Kami grunted as he gathered his energy, manipulating it in the form of a solid beam.

_**Why won't you die?! Answer me!**_

With a grunt, he released it towards the soul. The soul of Issei jumped up to avoid it, and sped towards Amenominakanushi, and lifted the Vanishing Kusanagi. He then swung the axe-like weapon and directed it to inflict damage on the Shinto Kami's stomach.

_**GAH!**_

The soul then followed by forming his free hand in a fist, the blackish aura of his new body forming about it. Amenominakanushi crossed his arms and moved them up to guard his face.

_FALCON PUNCH!_

_**FALCON WHA-**_

The Kami's question was cut off as the soul suddenly shot his fist through his palms, causing it to hit his previously guarded face. Amenominakanushi cried out in pain as he held his face, his patience wearing thin. As he recovered quickly, the Kami went to attack his opponent, only for Issei's soul to send him flying with a blast from the Vanishing Kusanagi.

Reeling from the attack, Amenominakanushi collided with a nearby asteroid, grunting in rage. He shot back in a flash, immediately teleporting in front of the soul. As he reached for the soul's hand, the latter blocked it by grabbing Amenominakanushi's fist.

Narrowing his eyes, the Shinto Kami took that opportunity by swinging him around. Flying up, Amenominakanushi threw the soul towards the planet Earth. As the soul of Issei Hyoudou soared towards the planet, the Kami manipulated his form into a spinning kick motion. The soul moved out of the way and grabbed the Kami just in time to prevent him from colliding with the Earth. Sprawling about, Amenominakanushi was too late to avoid the soul's attack to his groin area, causing him to take off towards another asteroid.

_**WHAT THE-**_

With a snarl, Amenominakanushi teleported again behind the soul. The Kami moved his hand forward, ready to strike the soul in the side. Without even looking at him, the soul of Issei Hyoudou grabbed the Shinto Kami's hand and flew the both of them towards a large fragment of rock. Moving the Shinto Kami in front of him, the soul threw him towards the meteor.

_**GAHHHHH! **_

Normally, the impact of a God crashing into a meteor was like a prick on the neck for them, but Amenominakanushi was in intense pain. As the God sprung back up, he glided towards Issei's soul and went to knee him in the stomach.

_/Not so fast!/_

As soon as Amenominakanushi brought his knee forward, a black hole suddenly manifested, causing the god's limb to pass through it.

_**WHAT?!**_

Then another black hole formed behind him, causing his leg to appear as well.

_**Gah! Damn it!**_

Amenominakanushi cried out at the unexpected pain of kicking his own behind. He looked back just in time to see the black hole behind him disappearing. The black hole in front of him faded as well, allowing his leg to return to its normal state.

Growling at the soul of the Solar God, the Kami of Shintoism flew back and summoned a large number of misty colorless objects in the form of giant spears with jutting elongated spikes. With a wave of his hand, Amenominakanushi released the spears, intending to impale his opponent.

The soul of Issei Hyoudou lifted his hands up and summoned the same number of black holes. As the spears ejected, the black holes increased in size, allowing them to easily absorb the number of Amenominakanushi's attacks.

_**Why won't you die, Issei Hyoudou?!**_

Amenominakanushi lifted his finger and gathered more of his energy in the state of a massive blackish dome. He lowered his finger and delivered the devastating attack. The soul of Issei Hyoudou retaliated by summoning an even larger black hole, twice the size of the Shinto Kami's attack. The Kami scowled in rage at the repeated action. He then widened his eyes when he felt the presence of another black hole behind him.

_**?!**_

Turning around, Amenominakanushi gasped as the black hole suddenly ejected the bomb he had created, much to the Shinto Kami's shock and horror. The soul only narrowed his eyes, as he had no mouth to express any sort of emotion he felt.

Readying himself, the soul disappeared entirely, only to reappear in front of Amenominakanushi. Lowering his head, he drew his leg back, and with a satisfied grunt, he kneed his opponent in his crotch area once more.

_**OOOOOF!**_

The force of the soul's kick was strong enough to completely push Amenominakanushi towards his own attack. As soon as the Kami of Shintoism collided into his bomb, a bright light immediately shone in Space upon contact.

_**Damn it all! Curse you, Issei Hyoudou!**_

The soul of Issei Hyoudou only glared back in response to the Kami's words. He flew up, keeping a large scale of distance between him and Amenominakanushi. As he waited for the light to fade entirely, the soul moved his right hand to his back and materialized a bloody object with a crimson-black aura surrounding it. His right hand held onto it tightly, almost breaking it to pieces.

_**Guh…**_

Amenominakanushi groaned in weariness as his body went through a painful regeneration. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at the soul of Issei Hyoudou, feeling another tirade of curses starting to burst out of his mouth. No words could describe how angry he was at the soul. The weight of his confusion was no better.

_/You know…it's kinda scary how many people have wanted to kill me./_

_**?!**_

The Shinto Kami gasped in surprise at the vocal tone of Issei's soul. From what he could see, the soul wasn't doing anything at the moment. He was just floating far away from Amenominakanushi, much to the Kami's relief. Not that he would have admitted it.

_**Tch!**_

Amenominakanshi cursed himself for his nervousness. What did he have to fear? He was the progenitor of the Shinto culture! If not for him, then the son of Amaterasu would've never been born!

_**Just what do you mean, boy?**_

_/You wanna know what my answer is, Amenominakanushi? The reason I refuse to die, or your claim of me refusing to accept what's coming to me?/_

_**…**_

_/It's because dumb-asses like you keep on living./_

_**WHAT?!**_

_/I've encountered a lot of people who've wanted to kill me so many times, Amenominakanushi. And you know what? It never gets old./_

_**Explain!**_

_/Their reasons are idiotic for the most part, but I've grown accustomed to that. When I look at it like this, I can't help but feel that more events like these are going to happen again. Events that involve constant enemies wanting to fight me for no particular reason, and the lengths they'll go through in order for that to happen./_

Amenominakanushi adopted a suspicious glare. Why was the boy talking in such a casual manner? Didn't he realize that his tone was in no way appropriate with the situation?

_**Stop being so cryptic, brat! Where are you going with this?**_

Reabsorbing the Vanishing Kusanagi into his body, the black hole personification of Issei Hyoudou narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the first Kami of the Shinto religion.

_/I'm saying that after I kill you, this battle won't change anything. In a couple of months or even years, another deity will try to kill me for no simple reason. These battles and events have been constant repetitions ever since I came in contact with the supernatural world./_

_**So why do you continue to-**_

_/Make no mistake, Amenominakanushi. In spite of the fact knowing that defeating you isn't going to bring permanent peace around the Universe, I'm GOING__ to kill you./_

_**IGNORANT BRAT!**_

The Kami of Shintoism bellowed out fiercely, his facade completely breaking apart. He tried so hard to be stoic with the son of Amaterasu, but the child was mocking him. Toying with him constantly. The boy had to accept his punishment! He had to!

_**I have said it once, and I shall say it once more! Do you not realize that if not for me, Amaterasu and the entire Shinto faction, including you would not be here right now?! YOU are here, because of ME! You owe your entire existence to me! I am the reason you exist! I AM YOUR GOD!**_

Amenominakanushi clutched his throat as he felt his voice go hoarse. He took haggard breaths, trying to soothe his voice. He desperately tried to compose himself, not wanting the son of Amaterasu to see him in this humiliating state.

But it was the soul of Issei Hyoudou's next words that would further drive him to madness.

_/So you're saying you planned your own death?/_

_**…**_

_/You said that if you hadn't brought the concept of Shintoism into reality, then I wouldn't be here right now. Which means you wouldn't be going through this right now. You'd have a __much__ longer lifespan./_

_**U-uh….?!**_

_/You planted the seeds of your death since the beginning of time, Amenominakanushi. But now the time stops here! And when I kill you, I will personally make sure you don't end up descending to Yomi! I'll bring you to the brink of non-existence!/_

_**SILENCE! SILENCE THIS INSTANT! COME DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW AND FACE ME! You've said countless times you were going to end me! Why haven't you done it yet?! Huh?! Fly down here and finish it!**_

Unbeknownst to Amenominakanushi, the soul of Issei Hyoudou suddenly tightened his fist upon the object that was hidden in his right hand. The force caused the object to break off into a large pool of mist. A small black hole manifested with enough power to absorb the mist.

The soul suddenly adopted a look of confusion as he pointed to the Shinto Kami.

_/You want me to glide over to you?/_

_**Am I speaking another dialect or language?! Did I stutter, son of Amaterasu?! Get down here this instant!**_

_/Um…I can't really do that./_

Amenominakanushi snarled angrily at the literal bane of his existence. Never before had he met someone so infuriating!

_**And why can't you?!**_

Offering a shrug, the soul let out a nonchalant reply.

_/Well, it's because of the gas./_

_**…What?!**_

Rolling his eyes, the soul mockingly brought his hands in front of where his mouth should have been.

_/Because of the gas!/_

_**What gas?**_

The soul crossed his arms and nodded his head to Amenominakanushi.

_/This gas./_

Immediately following his declaration, a series of black holes evinced their presence, all of them surrounding Amenominakanushi from every direction. The black holes sprayed a crimson-blackish mist, covering the Shinto Kami in its substance.

_**WHA?! GAHHHHHHHHHHh!**_

What was this overbearing pain?! He in no way expected a formless mist to harm him! But as the mist approached him, the Kami felt that he couldn't even breathe properly. His entire body structure was in agony, his form starting to contort painfully.

_**WHAT IS THIS?!**_

The amount of pain was far too vast for him to concentrate. In his frustrated mind, he deduced that the boy hadn't answered his frenzied question. The Kami desperately tried to shield himself against the spray, wondering and failing to decipher what the mist consisted of.

The black hole personification of Issei Hyoudou kept his arms crossed, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction.

_/The fang of the God-Devouring Wolf Fenrir in the form of mist. An object so powerful that not even the most powerful beings, including Gods, are able to withstand its lethal effects./_

_**G-GUAHHHHHHHHHHH!**_

_/…That ought to hold him for a while._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Yo :)<em>**

**_Really happy to write another chapter again. Hope you guys liked this one. Hopefully, I'll see you later for another one._**

**_Read & Review :)_**


	50. The Final Plan of the Solar God Part 2

_Reminders:_

_Ddraig speaking= {}_

_Albion speaking = ()_

_Al/Clone of Albion = (())_

_Yamata-no-Orochi = []_

* * *

><p><strong>In the Underworld (Near the Phenex Mansion)<strong>

Unlike Earth, the Underworld maintained its original state. The sky was still purple, and the appearance of the false moon remained intact.

"I can't help but ponder how easy it would be to solve problems if Hyoudou would just _elaborate_ on his convoluted plans." Vali muttered as he flew towards the Phenex Mansion.

_(And to think you were so worried about him back at Mount Kalish.)_

"Now's not the time, Albion." Vali dismissed his Dragon's snark, "Seriously though, Hyoudou has a strange mind. And it shows whenever he comes up with his own plans."

_(It's selective at best.)_

"If you're going to have a plan, or even an extended plan," Vali started, his annoyance growing for each of his words, "then at least _tell_ us the full details. Not just half of it so you can improvise along the way. I swear Hyoudou is such a terrible planner. Sometimes."

_(Sometimes?)_

"As much as it annoys me to do this, I have to give Issei Hyoudou some credit. Even though he only told Yoru and I half of his plan to defeat Indra, it still would have worked. Perhaps using the Eye of Medusa _could_ have been a deal breaker."

_(It would have. It's too late now, though.)_

"And what was with that nonsense Hyoudou was spouting on about?"

_(What nonsense?)_

"You remember," Vali chided as he rolled his eyes, "He said that he currently possesses the physiology of a black hole. What did he mean by that? Is he implying that he is literally a black hole? Or does he possess the power of one?"

_(Well think about it, Vali. If Issei Hyoudou were to fight someone, then that opponent would have a difficult time.)_

"What do you mean?"

_(I mean that if his opponent were to be trapped into a black hole, then they would be ripped to shreds. Their body would be stretched apart to a point of compression, causing excess pain and suffering. Imagine it, host. When they enter into a Gravitational Singularity, they would be erased to nothingness as a body molecule, and the matter and energy they were made up of, would be absorbed, causing instant death.)_

"…"

_(…Vali?)_

"Hmph. Hahaha…hahahahahahahaha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

_(Vali?)_

"That's amazing!" Vali shouted out, his mood brightening compared to earlier, "So Hyoudou's gotten that strong, huh?! And to think I was getting so annoyed with him! As soon as I get those damn Phoenix Tears and heal every solar deity, I'm coming up there to wherever Hyoudou is to battle him myself!"

_(Vali, calm down already! Get your mind back on track! Do you really think Issei Hyoudou is going to postpone his current battle to appease your desire to fight him?)_

At Albion's words, Vali's happy expression instantly dissolved, replaced by a look of suppressed annoyance.

"Way to kill the mood, Albion."

_(…Let's just get back to what you were complaining about. You were talking about Issei Hyoudou's ways of coming up with plans. If you harbor such animosity, Vali, then answer me this. What do you think about his current plan?)_

"Hmm? The Phoenix Tears?"

_(Yes, that. Their healing powers are extraordinary, but you know they're expensive. In fact you could even say they're the reason why the members of the Phenex Clan are so wealthy.)_

"Humph, expensive? If Hyoudou expects me to pay for those tears, he has another thing coming. He wouldn't dare charge me for trying to go along with his plan."

_(Calm yourself, Vali. Since Issei Hyoudou is the one who inherited Riser Phenex's inheritance, I doubt the latter's former peerage will expect you to purchase the tears. Especially at a chaotic time like we are experiencing now. They'll most likely just give them to you.)_

"Do I really have any other choice, Albion?" Vali sighed as he stepped to the front of the mansion's door, "Hmm. If I just tell them that Hyoudou sent me here to collect the tears, then everything should go well. Unless they question me."

_(Perhaps you should be cautious, Vali. Don't tell them anything that's going on.)_

"And why shouldn't I?"

_(I'm sure you're aware on how Phoenix Tears are made.)_

"Of course I'm aware. In order to create the Phoenix Tears, a Pure-blooded Devil from the Phenex Clan is required. The chosen Devil then goes inside a magic-circle that goes through a special ritual. They have a cup of water and then drop their own tear inside that cup. The water inside the cup which has the tear drop added is then turned into Phoenix Tears."

_(Excellent explanation, host. But you left out something important.)_

"What?"

_(It's known if it isn't a tear shed while having an empty mind; the water will not convert into Phoenix Tears. So if you were to tell the members of the Phenex Clan of our current events, chances are…their minds aren't going to be empty.)_

"…Fine."

As he stopped in front of the mansion, Vali raised his hand to knock on the door, until the door suddenly opened. Raising an eyebrow, Vali peered in the door to see a young girl with long blonde hair tied into twin tails with large, drill-like curls, and blue ribbons that kept them in place.

_(Ah. It's the youngest sibling of the Phenex Clan. Ravel Phenex.)_

'Yes, Albion. We all know who she is.'

_(Did…did you just break th-?!)_

"I thought I heard maniacal laughter outside of the mansion." Ravel said.

"It wasn't maniacal," Vali defended, feeling a bit insulted, "It was a laugh of excited bliss."

_(Excited bliss? Keep telling yourself that, host.)_

Ignoring his Dragon for the moment, Vali set his eyes toward Ravel.

"I was sent here by Issei Hyoudou to get something from you."

Ravel widened her eyes a bit at Vali's statement.

"From Issei? Where is he? Is he all right?"

_(Hell if we know.)_

"He's fine." Vali dismissed with a wave of his hand, "He's just fighting some supernatural opponent; same thing he's been doing for most of his life."

"I'm not sure if 'he's fine' matches with 'fighting a supernatural opponent'." Ravel said in doubt.

"…Long story short, I need some Phoenix Tears." Vali replied blankly.

"Phoenix Tears?" Ravel repeated questioningly, "Did something happen?"

"Yeah. You and the others have been chilling out at the Phenex mansion, so you'll most likely be surprised when I say this. The Sun has been destroyed."

"…I," It took Ravel only a second to react, "What?! What do you mean the Sun's been destroyed? Who would even have enough power to do that?!"

"First of all, _I _would." Vali said as he pointed to himself, "Second of all, any deity Issei Hyoudou has unwittingly managed to piss off."

"Hold on a second!" Ravel exclaimed, "If the Sun no longer exists, then that means Issei is-"

"Hyoudou is still very much alive," Vali deadpanned, "If he wasn't, he wouldn't have told me to come here to gather the Phoenix Tears."

A flash of relief passed over Ravel's face, and she sighed. Rolling his eyes, Vali placed his hands in his pockets.

"Ok, so we got that out of the way. Now if you don't mind, I need to get some Phoenix Tears."

_(Let's hope that these Phoenix Tears are powerful enough to rejuvenate the other solar deities.)_

'For the planet's sake, they better. The Earth can't live without the Sun, and it doesn't have much time left.'

_(Neither do the inhabitants that live on Earth.)_

Vali pursed his lips at the thought, and frowned.

'So far your convoluted plans have had little to no success, Hyoudou. Let's hope this one works.'

* * *

><p><strong>Earth<strong>

Azazel would be lying if he said that he wasn't happy that _someone_ was talking to him. After all, being contained within Serafall's ice trap made him feel just a bit lonely. Plus, if someone had asked him if he was feeling cold, that alone would've been an understatement.

"So," He began, his tone casual in spite of his situation, "How ya doing?"

He might as well start off easy. He didn't know who this woman was, so there was no reason to get on her bad or possible good side. Her level of power was massive yet non-threatening. It was enough to give an Ultimate-Class Devil a run for their money. Or perhaps even more.

If Izanami had heard him, she gave no indication that she had. She looked around the untidy laboratory with an almost transfixed expression of wonder. With her consciousness as the supernatural, she remembered seeing Issei go into this room only one time. She couldn't recall anything else, aside from the memory of the trapped man in front of her, trying to experiment on Issei. At the memory, Izanami allowed a small frown to form on her face, her expression directed towards Azazel.

She almost considered leaving the Fallen Angel trapped in his ice prison, but thought against it. She didn't have the energy to simmer down in rage as easily as she did while corrupted by Yomi. The realm itself had amplified all of the negative traits of her personality to ghastly degrees.

"You are Fallen Angel Azazel." The woman said softly before letting out a pained cough, "Y-you are acquainted with my little grandson."

Azazel blinked at Izanami's first sentence.

'Well, I can't say that it's not peculiar that she knows my name. Has she been keeping tracks on me? And also, I'm apparently acquainted with whoever her grandson is.'

"Your grandson?" He repeated questioningly, trying to make sense of things.

Azazel searched through his mind as he tried to match to what Izanami was saying. Whose grandchild could he possibly have met before? Judging by the woman's energy signature, he deduced that she harbored a godly aura.

'Hmm. How many godlings do I know?' He asked himself almost sarcastically.

There _was_ Issei Hyoudou, the son of Amaterasu, who in turn was the daughter of Izanagi-no-Mikoto. But if mythology ever taught anyone anything, it was said that after escaping the wrath of Izanami-no-Mikoto, Izanagi-no-Mikoto brought life to the god of seas and storms, the god of the Moon, and the Goddess of the Sun and the Universe. So Issei Hyoudou had only one grandparent, and that was Izanagi.

'But that doesn't make any sense at all.' Azazel frowned as he came to his mental conclusion, 'Issei Hyoudou and Yoru are the only Godlings that I know. And Izanagi was the only one who contributed giving life to Susanoo, Tsukuyomi, and Amaterasu. So who…'

It took a moment for Azazel to widen his eyes and look up at the woman in shock.

"Are you…" He started in disbelief, "Are you Izanami-no-Mikoto?"

Izanami only gave a small nod in response, her eyes maintaining their half-lidded look. Azazel wasn't a man who could be easily taken aback, but this was too strange even for his liking.

"But it can't be! It was said that you were trapped in Yomi indefinitely by Izanagi!"

The mention of her former husband and former fate prompted Izanami's frown to deepen. Just hearing Izanagi's name made her physically ill. She felt only resentment and hurt. Looking back at Azazel, Izanami willed herself to calm down.

"If that were true, then I would not be standing here in front of you." She said evenly.

"Touché." Azazel acknowledged, "But there's the question of _how_ you escaped. Last time I checked, the boulder Izanagi selected was impenetrable to break."

"Do not say it again." Izanami ordered quietly.

"Say what?" Azazel responded.

"His name. Do not _ever_ say his name to me. Don't even think it." Izanami warned, her soft tone slowly growing ominous.

Azazel could sense Izanami's energy increasing in a threatening manner. He closed his mouth tightly, understanding the Shinto Goddesses' warning. But something at the back of his mind willed itself out of his mouth.

"You called Issei Hyoudou your grandchild." He began hesitantly, "But that's impossible because Amaterasu, Susanoo, and Tsukuyomi aren't your children. So why do you…"

Azazel stopped himself just in time to notice Izanami's brief but clear look of rage. Her eyes were no longer half-lidded, and were instead wide with her constricted pupils. Despite being put off by the look of death on Izanami's face, Azazel could almost find a silver lining in his situation.

At least he wasn't staring face to face with the _corpse_ of Izanami. That alone would have been terrifying to see.

"_That man_," Izanami all but snarled as she took a step towards Azazel, "Took everything away from me. From the day he slaughtered Kagu-tsuchi, to the moment he sealed me, his own wife, away in Yomi. And yet for everything he did, he lived the rest of his life unpunished, and at the same time gained children and grandchildren, while _I _suffered in that horrid realm for _centuries_! If anyone deserved to be stuck in Yomi for eternity, it should have been _HIM_!"

Azazel set his lips into a flat line as he listened to Izanami's telling of her past. He could sense so much pain and raging hatred from Izanami's aura.

"How did you escape Yomi?" The Fallen Angel asked suddenly, "And why are you no longer a corpse?"

Izanami sniffed as she held back the bitter tears in her eyes. The look of rage had long ago left her face, dissolving into an expression of melancholy.

"I didn't escape." She finally said, "I was pulled out of Yomi, a realm that I initially thought would be my dwelling for the rest of eternity. And…my body has been cleansed from the effects of Yomi."

"So who broke you out of Yomi?"

"…My little I-Iss-" Izanami almost hesitated in her words.

She still couldn't believe that Issei was able to free her from Yomi. No, not able. She couldn't fathom _why_ Issei had brought her out of Yomi in the first place. As part of the ambiance of the supernatural, she had stalked him endlessly, trying desperately to trap him in Yomi, all for the purpose of getting revenge on Izanagi. She had even ripped his right eye out, and tried to end his existence!

Izanami clutched her forehead, her fragmented mind trying to find sense in what she was feeling. This did not go unnoticed by Azazel, who frowned at her.

"It was Issei Hyoudou, wasn't it?" He guessed.

"I don't understand." Izanami muttered, paying no attention to Azazel, "Why? Why would he do this?"

"H-hello? Is someone there? I thought I heard someone!" A sweet voice called out.

Azazel widened his eyes in surprise as he heard the familiar voice.

'Do my ears deceive me?'

Izanami gave no reaction at the unfamiliar voice, her hands still clutched against her forehead. Azazel looked on as a girl around 16 years old with long blonde hair and wide green eyes walked into his laboratory. The Fallen Angel's eyes widened further.

"Asia!"

Asia Argento smiled in relief as her eyes set themselves onto Azazel.

"Azazel-san! I finally found you!" She said excitedly, "We were all so worr-"

Asia cut herself off as she spotted an extremely pale woman standing near Azazel. Her green eyes softened with worry and compassion as she held her hands together.

"Oh goodness!" She began, "Miss? Are you okay? You don't look so well!"

Izanami seemingly ignored the girl's concerns, her mind elsewhere. As she tilted her head, Asia turned her attention back to Azazel.

"A-anyway, Azazel-san! We were all so worried! All this time, we thought you were still at the tournament!"

"Asia, the tournament was over two weeks ago! No tournament is that long!" Azazel couldn't help the incredulity that accompanied his words, "Weren't Dohnaseek and everyone else worried about where I was?"

Asia only offered a small look of sympathy before walking towards Izanami.

"E-excuse me?" Asia asked gently, "Are you all right, Miss? You look like you're in so much pain."

Moving her arms in front of Izanami, Asia closed her eyes as a green light illuminated her hands. Azazel watched on in amused horror; if such a term even existed, as Izanami finally moved her hands away from her forehead, and looked down at Asia.

'She's using Twilight Healing. Be cautious, Asia.' Azazel mentally warned.

Very slowly, Izanami's half-lidded eyes began to widen as she felt her body change. She looked down at the skin on her hands, which started to change to a more natural color, from pale to a light hue. Looking down at Asia again, Izanami blinked several times in confusion.

'W-what sorcery is this?'

* * *

><p><strong>Space<strong>

"All right, I finally made it."

Issei, in his spectral skeletal form, smiled as he sensed the suffocating energy of the portion of his soul, and Amenominakanushi. He looked all around Space, his skeletal face contorting in an expression akin to disappointment. He sighed as he looked ahead.

"All right, Vali." He said quietly, "You're doing your part. So I'll do mine."

_My Issei…_

"Ophis…" Issei sadly sighed, "I promise that I'll be back. Just hang in there."

Nodding to himself, the Solar God increased his speed and soared towards the location of his soul fragment and Amenominakanushi.

"It's over, Amenominakanushi!"

* * *

><p><strong>Space (Location of Issei's Soul Fragment &amp; Amenominakanushi)<strong>

_/Now it ends, Amenominakanushi! NOW, IT ENDS! /_

**Y-you think you've won?! I still live, son of Amaterasu!**

Amenominakanushi found it difficult to maintain his form, only for him to pull back in intense pain. The powerful fangs of Fenrir, used against him! He didn't anticipate that he would experience this much pain from just a fragmented mist!

_Ba-dum, ba-bum!_

Amenominakanushi flinched at the sudden sound.

'_**What was that noise?!**_

_Ba-dum, ba-bum!_

_Ba-dum, ba-bum!_

_Ba-dum, ba-bum!_

_Ba-dum, ba-bum!_

'_**There it is again! What is that?!'**_

The soul of the Solar God looked up, indicating that he had heard the noise as well.

_/You hear it too, huh? /_

Amenominakanushi turned to look at the soul fragment, and snarled at him.

_**Don't play games with me, you foolish child! Are you the cause of that incessant beating?!**_

_Ba-dum, ba-dum!_

_Ba-dum, ba-dum!_

_Ba-dum, ba-dum!_

_Ba-dum, ba-dum!_

_/He's coming back./_

**What?! What nonsense do you speak?! Who's coming back?!**

_I have returned_

_I have returned_

_I have returned_

_I have returned_

Amenominakanushi felt a sense of nervousness as he unintentionally deduced a pattern within the random sounds.

'…_**Ba-dum ba-bum? I have returned? Four syllables. But why? What does the number four have to do with anything?'**_

_/Do you hear it? The four beats? The four syllables?/_

_**Did you not hear me, son of Amaterasu?! Do not play games with me! What is the significance of four?!**_

_/…Four is death. /_

_**?!**_

Unbeknownst to Amenominakanushi, the spectral form of Issei Hyoudou was getting close to their location. The Kami of Shintoism let out a gasp as he sensed an ominous energy. Looking up at the area near the soul of Issei Hyoudou, the Kami held back another gasp as he spotted a spectral like being. A spiral of energy suddenly formed around the figure as he flew near the soul fragment.

_**No! It can't be! You were dead! Your entire physical body was disintegrated when I summoned that black hole!**_

Smirking at the horrified look on Amenominakanushi's face, Issei flew towards his soul fragment, his spiraling energy merging with that of the black hole physiology of his soul. Issei slightly winced at the power of the object that had destroyed his physical body, but his smile remained. He could feel his spectral body gaining a solid form. His light-brown hair had returned, along with his signature matching colored eyes.

**No! NO!**

The first Kami of Shintoism looked on in shock as the son of Amaterasu merged with the portion of his soul, his spirit becoming whole once again. As the light shone from the reuniting of souls, Amenominakanushi's body shook from terror. He had to get out of here!

Gritting his teeth, Amenominakanushi summoned a large vortex. Wasting no time, the Kami jumped in, leaving Issei Hyoudou to finish reuniting with his soul.

* * *

><p>As the light finally faded, Issei stood with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon clasped in his hands.<p>

Opening his eyes, Issei let out a sigh.

'Guys? Are you all right?'

_{God...damn it, partner. Don't ever do something stupid like that again.}_

Issei let out a small chuckle in response.

"I told you guys it would work."

_((You were lucky, boy. Don't forget that. It's not as though you knew you were going to survive.))_

_[Issssei. Very ssstupid.]_

His soul finally whole again, Issei sighed and frowned at the spot where Amenominakanushi formerly floated.

"Hmm. He's gone. First time that someone's done that in the middle of a fight. He really must be losing it."

_{What? Your opponent teleporting to another location while your energy causes light shows bright enough to give them time to do so? Frankly, I'm just as surprised as you, partner. No one's ever done that before.}_

_((That fool can run, but his dwindling energy signature still gives his presence away.))_

Narrowing his eyes, Issei clicked his tongue as he tried to sense the Shinto Kami's energy signal. Raising an eyebrow, Issei adopted a confused yet curious expression.

"The Underworld?" He questioned, "Why would he go to the Underworld?"

_{Perhaps he teleported to a random location.}_

'No that's stupid. There has to be a reason for why he would go to the Underworld.'

_((Instead of pondering the reason for choosing his location, we should go investigate and destroy the fool. Come on, kid. You just came back to us. Now focus.))_

Following Al's advice, Issei raised his palm, prompting a black hole to manifest in front of him. Before moving to go in, he narrowed his eyes again.

"There's no way he knows about the plan I told Vali. So he couldn't be going after him. What on Earth could he be doing?"

_{…No! C-could he be?!}_

Issei immediately reacted to the Welsh Dragon's sudden frantic words.

"What's up, Ddraig?"

_{Partner, listen carefully. There is a powerful being sealed within the deepest depths of the Underworld. Like the Trihexa, it is another entity that the God from the Bible sealed away, because it was too formidable to be killed.}_

_((No! That fool couldn't possibly be stupid enough to use that creature!))_

"Guys?" Issei asked cautiously, "Don't keep me out. Who are you talking about?"

_{We'll explain on the way, partner. Just go to his location, and I cannot stress this enough when I say this. Tread carefully!}_

* * *

><p><strong>Cocytus<strong>

A manifestation of vast colorless energy appeared within the dark purplish area. The area was known as **Cocytus**, the deepest section of the Underworld. The energy formed into the rustled shape of Amenominakanushi, who was breathing haggardly. The Shinto Kami was starting to lose his composure.

_**What is going on here?! How was he able to make himself whole again?! I destroyed his physical body! Even if he sealed a portion of his own soul within the fused sword of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon, he shouldn't have been able to escape Yomi and make his spirit whole again!**_

"H-hey! Who's that talking?!"

Amenominakanushi sneered at the sound of the voice and turned around to find the source. His eyes squinted as he looked around the recesses of Cocytus. A light purple stream of energy that spiraled upwardly was set in his sights. Encased within the stream of energy was a man who appeared to be missing half of his body. His red eyes were bloodshot, as well as his black hair losing its shine. Jutting out from the man's back were five pairs of black wings.

The Kami of Shintoism didn't know who this man was, but he didn't see any reason for why the latter was sealed into the horrid realm of Cocytus. His power level was so pathetic that it almost made the Shinto Kami pity the fool. Judging by the man's wings, Amenominakanushi deduced that he was a Fallen Angel.

The Fallen Angel shivered in horror at the vast power he was sensing from the figure in front of him. He hadn't felt a power this high since…

He frantically shook his head to make him forget about that boy. The boy who had bisected his body before tossing him away to the descendant of Lucifer. He could still picture the boy's facial features, contorted into a fierce glower. Azazel sealing him into Cocytus could have been interpreted as a merciful imprisonment, but the Fallen Angel sure as hell didn't see it that way.

Looking at the Fallen Angel in disinterest, Amenominakanushi turned to walk away to his next point of interest. He had narrowly escaped his demise the moment the son of Amaterasu reunited with the portion of his soul. In hindsight, he pondered why he hadn't thought of doing that sooner. That aside, he knew that he stood no chance against Issei Hyoudou, a fact that enraged him to no end.

_**Where did it all go wrong? He should have perished the moment I sent him into the endless chasm of the black hole! How was he able to use the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon to absorb that black hole?! How?! How?! Damn you, Issei Hyoudou!**_

How could Amaterasu have given birth to such a powerful spawn? He was the Kami of Shintoism! He reigned supreme over every Shinto deity that existed after him. But now, Amenominakanushi had a plan. And this time, unlike the son of Amaterasu's _selective_ planning, the Shinto Kami knew exactly what to do.

And there would be no chance of failure. The son of Amaterasu would perish once more. And this time, he would make sure to send Issei Hyoudou to the realm of true _Non-Existence_. So that no matter what Issei Hyoudou tried, he would never escape.

"Wait! Hold on!" The Fallen Angel cried out, his shout almost ignored by Amenominakanushi, "Did you say Issei Hyoudou?!"

At this remark, the Kami stopped in his pace and turned his head to look at the man in front of him.

_**I assume you know of him then. How unfortunate.**_

"He…" The Fallen Angel hesitated, "He was the one who did this to me! _He _was the one who bisected my body into two!"

**...**

The Fallen Angel's face then contorted into an indignant glare at Amenominakanushi's lack of response.

"Why the hell are you just standing there?!"

_**If you are expecting me to give you any ounce of sympathy, then your sanity must have dwindled long ago.**_

He had no time to banter with the foolish Fallen Angel. He knew that in a few minutes, the son of Amaterasu would manage to find out where he was. But the Shinto Kami wasn't worried. He had a plan that wasn't virtually foolproof. It was _absolutely_ foolproof.

Turning to leave again, hopefully without any interruption from the Fallen Angel, Amenominakanushi set off to complete his plan.

"Wait, stop! Stop!" The Fallen Angel called out again, "Are you trying to defeat Issei Hyoudou?!"

_**If you must know, I am. Now cease your babbling before I do it for you. Then again, I'd just be doing you a favor, wouldn't I?**_

"No, listen!" The man pleaded, "My name is Kokabiel! I've fought Issei Hyoudou before, and I know that he has the Red Dragon Emperor as his main power source! If we work together, we can steal the power of the Welsh Dragon from him and defeat him!"

Amenominakanushi suppressed the urge to decimate this so-called Kokabiel right then and there.

'_**If this fool believes that the Red Dragon Emperor is still the son of Amaterasu's primary source of power, then he has been trapped in this realm for far too long.'**_

_**I? Team up with you? A bisected Fallen Angel with ripped wings? Don't make me laugh, you fool. The son of Amaterasu is far more powerful than he was than the time he fought you, which I assume was a long time ago.**_

"That can't be! I've only been down here for a week!" Kokabiel exclaimed.

…_**I don't have time for this. The realm of Cocytus has clearly taken whatever sanity you have left.**_

"Hey! Don't leave me here!" Kokabiel begged before adopting a confused expression, "How did you even get down here?! The only time someone would use this realm would be to seal an entity!"

_**I am the Kami of Shintoism, you pitiful wretch. I can travel anywhere I see fit. Now if you'll excuse me."**_

* * *

><p>Choosing to transmit himself instead of walking, Amenominakanushi escaped from the confused ramblings of Kokabiel. He reappeared in another section of Cocytus, in the form of colorless shape of energy, and scowled as he looked all around him.<p>

_**I know you are here.**_

There was no response. It was completely silent within the area the Shinto Kami appeared at. The energy he was sensing was clearly suppressed. He could sense multiple layers of seals affecting the level of power nearby.

_**The audacity of the Biblical God placing multiple seals on you is heavily insulting. As if he was strong enough to kill the likes of you. But I have the power to set you free.**_

Again, there was no response. Amenominakanushi frowned at the lack of replies. He could sense the overwhelming amount of negative emotion.

_**I sense your pain, your jealousy, and resentment. But your suffering is what I feel most of all. Like I have stated, I can free you from your prison. If you agree on my terms.**_

Complete silence still remained.

_**Even though we are from different mythologies, I know of your origins. You were the serpent who manipulated the primordial humans; Adam and Eve, into eating the Fruit of Knowledge. Because of this, you were cursed by the Biblical God, a fact that continues to upset you to this day. How awful it must be, an entity born of the 'Evil Intentions' from the Biblical God himself, to be sealed in this realm.**_

Amenominakanushi could feel the suppressed energy rising, before decreasing again. He hummed in amusement to himself. He walked forward into the shadows, and raised his palm in front of him outwardly. He summoned a bright surge of energy that illuminated the darkness in front of him.

**Ah….so this is what he has done to you. What a shame.**

In front of the Kami of Shintoism, was a large ominous creature with strange features. It had the upper body of a Fallen Angel and the lower body of an Asian Dragon. Amenominakanushi noticed that the creature also had fangs in its mouth.

The Kami walked closer towards the creature, and stopped just in time to avoid a drop of blood fall on top of him. He looked up to see what appeared to be tears of blood dripping from under the creature's upper body.

Amenominakanushi lowered his body and peered down at the blood that fell onto the ground of Cocytus. Allowing a dark smirk to form on his face, the Kami of Shintoism rose up from his spot.

_**Your blood. It contains a powerful curse. A curse that is lethal to both Dragons and Dragon wielders. Not even snakes are immune, which is somewhat ironic since you were the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve.**_

There was no reply.

_**The Dragon Eater. The Snake of Eden. The Poison of God. And the Evil Intention of God. All names you are most known for. Fitting names for a creature as powerful as you are…**_

Amenominakanushi smiled as he placed his hand onto the creature, pleased to hear a tremor of restrained rage.

"_**So you finally react…"**_

He received another rumbling growl in reply, prompting his smile to widen in amusement.

"_**SAMAEL."**_

* * *

><p><em>Hey, guys! I finally got around to writing Chapter 50. It's late, but I finally did it! I'm so happy to be back on this story! Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter, and please share your thoughts on it! Sigh. It's so great to be back!<em>

_Read & Review :)_

_With humble thanks,_

_-WarriorMan199456_


	51. Change of Plans

**Tokyo – Outside of Issei's Apartment**

"Honey, please! You know I love Issei just as much as you do, but don't you think we should have stayed in our house where it's safe and sound? The weather is far too dangerous, and it's dark out here!"

Mrs. Hyoudou turned to give her husband a light glare in response as she stopped in front of their son's building.

"No! Absolutely not! I tried calling Issei, and he hasn't been answering his phone! I even tried calling Leiko, and she didn't answer either!"

"What about your sister and her husband?" Mr. Hyoudou questioned.

"They've been trying to reach Leiko too, and they're worried sick! Why, oh why did I let our Ise-chan move away from us?!" Mrs. Hyoudou exclaimed.

Turning to look back at the building, Mrs. Hyoudou pressed the button to the intercom, severely hoping that her son would pick up.

_BUZZ_

She waited impatiently, praying for a response. When nothing came out of the intercom, her worried expression turned frantic as she pressed the intercom button a few times more forcefully.

"Issei, please answer!" Mrs. Hyoudou begged desperately.

She needed to know. She needed to know if her son was all right. Mrs. Hyoudou pursed her lips as she went to click on the intercom button, before a unfamiliar voice answered the call.

"Hello?"

The Hyoudou couple widened their eyes as they shared a surprised glance. That didn't sound like Issei at all. It sounded like a much older man.

Narrowing her eyes, Mrs. Hyoudou pressed her mouth closer to the intercom.

"Who are you and what are you doing in our son's apartment?!"

"Who is this?"

"We asked you first!" Mr. Hyoudou responded sternly, "Now why are you in our son's room?!"

"Your son?" The voice questioned, "Oh! You mean Issei Hyoudou!"

"Yes, _our son_!" Mrs. Hyoudou exclaimed, "This is the last time we're going to ask you! Why are you in his apartment room?!"

"Have you guys not seen the weather outside?" The man asked, "I'm just trying to get whatever shelter and food that I can get, before the world ends!"

"Before the world ends?" Mr. Hyoudou repeated in confusion, "What are you talking about? It's just dark outside! The world's not going to end! Now who are you?"

"Morisawa." The man replied, finally revealing himself, "I'm your son's neighbor."

"Did he give you permission to go through his room?" Mrs. Hyoudou asked impatiently.

"No." Morisawa replied nonchalantly.

"Then why are you in there?!"

"…I wanted to know if he had any manga in his house." Morisawa hesitantly admitted.

"Manga?!" The Hyoudou mother almost screamed, "You say the world's ending and yet you're worrying over a pile of stupid books!"

"Oh, you did _**NOT **_just go there!" Morisawa roared, "How dare you disgrace the greatest thing of all time!"

"Now you listen, Moris or whatever-" Mr. Hyoudou started.

"It's Morisawa." The aforementioned man interrupted him.

"Don't interrupt me! Let us in so we can see Issei!"

"The kid isn't here."

"What do you mean he's not in there?" Mrs. Hyoudou asked.

"He's not in here." Morisawa repeated slowly before continuing, "He's been gone for a while, actually."

"Well then where is he?" Mr. Hyoudou demanded.

"I don't know. I'm not involved in the kid's personal life."

"And yet you're stealing things from his room!" Mrs. Hyoudou exclaimed.

"I'm not stealing!" Morisawa denied vehemently, "I'm just borrowing it for safekeeping, and then I'll give it back when I'm done with it. Or when he comes back."

"Will you just let us in?" Mr. Hyoudou implored.

"Why should I? And while we're on the subject, how do I know you're really the kid's parents?" Morisawa challenged.

"LET US IN RIGHT NOW OR I WILL PERSONALLY BURN EVERY PIECE OF MANGA YOU HOLD NEAR AND DEAR TO YOU!" Mrs. Hyoudou exploded.

"GAH! All right, all right! God damn it!" Morisawa relented, his tone a bit frightened as he ended the conversation.

True to his word, the door to the apartment building opened, allowing Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou access to go in. As they walked in, Mr. Hyoudou looked over to his wife, a bit scared by what she had just done. He'd never seen his wife lose control like that.

Ever.

'Note to self,' He thought in his head, 'Never cross Sachiko.'

"Come on, Mitsuru!" Mrs. Hyoudou called to him, already running up the stairs.

"C-coming, dear!" Mr. Hyoudou replied as he rushed towards his wife, already trying to move in front of her.

One of them needed to be the sane one in this situation. As he looked at his wife's expression, Mitsuru increased his pace and tried to reach the door first. After all, someone needed to restrain Sachiko in case she tried to strangle Morisawa, which was bound to happen judging by his wife's muttering.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimensional Gap<strong>

"Oooooh! I can't take this anymore!"

Ophis, Great Red, and the Trihexa all turned their heads to look at the only human in the Dimensional Gap. Leiko's face was set into such an expression of overwhelming concern and worry that the Apocalypse Dragon didn't have the heart in him to tease her about it. They were all worried for Issei, and were taking great lengths to keep their faith in him.

Leiko however, couldn't keep her feelings suppressed for a moment longer.

"Ise-itoko," She quietly bemoaned, "Please come back already!"

The elder Hyoudou just wanted to know if her little cousin was alright. No, not just wanted. She _needed_ to know. She dearly loved her cousin so much, and the thought of him being away from her and the rest of the Dragons brought her nothing but sadness. She tried to reassure herself multiple times. She tried earnestly in order to relieve Ophis' worries as well. The Ouroboros Dragon of all creatures should have known how Leiko felt as well. The amount of love they held for Issei was nearly the same.

Leiko frowned as the image of her younger cousin continued to dominate her thoughts. She could feel tears coming out of her eyes as she held back a sob. Her chest hurt as her heart continued to beat against it rapidly. She'd never felt so depressed in her life.

It hurt so much to know that although she was the older cousin, Issei was the one who protected her. Always. It didn't matter where they both were. No matter how far Issei was away from her, Leiko knew. She always knew that Issei would find a way to save her from danger. He had saved her so many times, and every time he did, Leiko felt worse each time.

She was the one who always watched over her 'Itoko-chan' ever since he was brought into the Hyoudou family, taking every opportunity to spend time with him. Her shy and withdrawn 'Ise-itoko'. But he certainly wasn't like his child self anymore.

Wiping some tears away from her eyes, Leiko sniffed as she tried to compose herself. She needed to hold her faith in her younger cousin. She had to.

"Don't try to hide it, cousin-in-law. It's all right to weep." A gruff yet soft voice reassured her, "We're all trying to be strong and wait for him to come back. It's okay to cry."

"Issei's…cousin," The Trihexa uttered quietly, "crying…is ok."

Leiko sniffled again as her breath shuddered.

"I'm trying to keep faith, guys." She said, "I really am. I just…"

She stopped her words as more tears dropped from her face. Just a while ago, she had tried to comfort Ophis about her doubts regarding Issei, and here she was, crying her eyes out.

'Ise-itoko. Y-you-!'

The emotions she felt towards her younger cousin were starting to grow mixed. She loved her cousin to such an enormous degree; some would even say to an abnormal amount; and at the same time she was angry at him for his decision to fight the supernatural entities all by himself. Didn't her 'Ise-itoko' know that he didn't have to fight his battles by himself all the time?

The elder Hyoudou thought she truly understood her younger cousin, but even she, a person who was the closest to him, couldn't understand why Issei felt that he needed to do this by himself.

Shaking her head with a sigh, Leiko sniffed again as she rubbed her eyes, before a pale finger shot up in front of her left eye. Leiko held back a surprised gasp as she looked to see Ophis staring at her with a tilt of her head.

Ophis stared at her cousin-in-law with a rare gentle expression, as she allowed a tear drop to fall on her finger. Maintaining her silence, the Ouroboros Dragon lifted her hands and placed her hands on Leiko's cheeks, prompting the elder Hyoudou to widen her eyes in shock. Ophis closed her eyes and gently rested her forehead against Leiko's.

Leiko's breath and body shuddered at the cold touch of the Infinite Dragon God. She took a deep breath as she allowed her body to relax, and sighed.

"My Issei," Ophis said quietly and gently, "will come back."

Leiko blinked as she gasped softly.

"He will always…come back." The Dragon God finished softly.

Leiko blinked several times as she felt the cold air leave her face. The tears stopped flowing from her eyes, and she held back another sob as she nodded to Ophis. She allowed a sad yet gentle smile to adorn her face as she looked back at Ophis.

"Yeah," Leiko said as her smile grew hopeful, "He will."

'We're all waiting for you…my Ise-itoko.'

* * *

><p><strong>Omniverse<strong>

The 'Above' Entity and its five creations continued to silently watch the activities that were going around on Earth and Cocytus. Their facial expressions exuded a stony look, with the exception of Death itself. The Shinigami for the first time sported a pout that could almost be considered cute, if not for the soulless aspect of her personality. The pout on her face was such a rare sight, that not even Oblivion could ignore her sibling's expression.

"What are you pouting about, _sister_?" She asked with an eyebrow raise, "Are you not happy for the survival of Amaterasu's child?"

The rest of the primordial entities, with the exception of the 'Above' Entity, turned to look at the Shinigami, their curiosity also piqued. Realizing that she was now the center of attention, Death released a disappointed sigh.

"Yes, yes. I am glad that my Darling has managed to come back from the realm of Yomi." She admitted, "But I was hoping that he would suffer a bit more. A struggling Darling is much more entertaining to observe."

"So you wish for the son of Amaterasu to lose in this battle?" Chaos asked.

Death sighed again, this time in a melodramatic air in her voice.

"Of course I want my Darling to succeed. It's just that I want him to suffer as well."

"I cannot help but ponder whether or not your affection towards Issei Hyoudou is genuine or insincere." Order commented.

"Oh, do not misunderstand me, dear sister." Death replied, her mischievous smirk returning, "I can assure you I am greatly fond of my Darling. As I said before, I do want a struggling Darling to complete his plan, but not a _broken_ Darling."

"Well Shinigami, your wish might become a reality," Eternity said with her off-putting smile.

"What are you talking about?" Oblivion questioned.

"Issei Hyoudou has just reunited with the portion of his soul that was incorporated with the physiology of a black hole." Eternity explained, "Do you, my dear sisters, honestly think that process will not hinder him?"

"_…Little Darling's body needs a long period of time to recover_." The 'Above' Entity uttered.

The primordial manifestations of the Universe turned their heads to look at their creator. Tilting her head, Chaos blinked as her golden eyes widened a little.

"What notion do you speak of, Creator?"

"_It is just as Eternity has stated_," The entity replied, "_When Amenominakanushi summoned the black hole in order to destroy him, little darling integrated his soul into his sword, allowing him to continue his existence even when his physical body was destroyed_."

"And then his body was sent to Yomi." Chaos finished.

"Why?" Order asked.

"What do you mean why?" Oblivion replied.

"Why did Amaterasu's child descend into Yomi when his body was destroyed? Was it not your realm, Shinigami, where Issei Hyoudou was sent to when he perished during his battle with Susanoo-no-Mikoto?"

"Yes, that is true." Death said as she tilted her head, "But that is because _I_ summoned Darling to my realm the moment he perished in his Inner World."

"What?" Order asked again, "I do not understand, sister."

"What is so hard to understand?" Oblivion questioned, trying to suppress her annoyance at Order's words.

"What realm was Issei Hyoudou supposed to descend to when he died in his fight against Susanoo?"

"Yomi." Death answered.

"Come now, sister." Chaos smirked as she looked over to Order, "As you know, there are many different incarnations of mythology. There is a Heaven, and in turn, there is an Underworld. Think, sister. The God Hades is the ruler of the Greek incarnation of the Underworld. Izanami-no-Mikoto was the ruler of the realm Yomi, the Shinto incarnation of the Underworld. Since Issei Hyoudou is of Shinto heritage, it would be natural for him to descend into Yomi."

"Well if that is the case," Order started as she looked over to Death, "Then why did you take Issei Hyoudou into your realm in the first place? And for that matter, why did the son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and the Evil Dragons descend into your realm? They are all of different mythologies, and yet they were sent to your dimension."

"Why that's simple, sister," Death stated with a smile, "Because I could."

"…" Order gave her sibling a blank stare as she sighed.

"You didn't answer her other question, Shinigami." Oblivion noted, letting her annoyance show, "Why did you gather the runt into your realm instead of letting him descend into Yomi? You couldn't have held such affection for him at the time. Creator never asked you to do it either, so why? And do not say it was because you were bored, because I know you, my _dear loving sister_."

Death's smile twisted at Oblivion's sneering tone, before the former lifted up a finger.

"There are two reasons why I saved Darling and transported him to my Domain." She began, "Tell me, my dear sisters. Do you remember me telling all of you about my encounter with Hades?"

"Yes," Chaos answered before muttering shortly, "The foolish Greek child kept whining that the son of Amaterasu was supposed to go to his realm specifically. This does not make sense. Unless Izanami-no-Mikoto had somehow collaborated with Hades in the past."

"That's correct, dear sister." Death cooed as her smile widened, "As you know, Hades, Izanami, and I represent an incarnation of the End. Because of this, we are somewhat connected, but are not simultaneous. And Izanami's consciousness was fused with the ambiance of the supernatural world for so many years. That allowed her to communicate with the mythological creatures, despite her being trapped in Yomi."

"So you're saying that somewhere along the way, Izanami forced Hades to trap Issei in his realm?" Order asked, "So the Greek God could bring him to Yomi?"

"Maaaaybe. But it matters no longer, as Izanami has been purified from the effects of Yomi," Death teased before her expression shifted as she looked towards the 'Above' Entity, "Hmm. I apologize for our interruption, Creator. Please continue your explanation."

The 'Above' Entity tilted her head as she absently placed her hand behind her head, fiddling with the scrunchie given to her by Issei.

"_When little darling reunited with the soul that fused with the black hole that destroyed his physical body, he did not get his original body back_."

"What do you mean, Creator?" Eternity asked, her smile finally dissipating.

"_The physiology and powers of a black hole had been incorporated into Issei's soul," The 'Above' Entity began, "But not his body, because only little darling's soul has the power of the black hole. His body does not have enough experience in maintaining the power of the black hole. In simpler terms, it is a body that was born out of death. All it can do is slowly die_."

"Do not tell us that he is going to die again." Oblivion said in irritation, "He just came back from Yomi and reunited with his soul."

"And besides," Chaos continued, "If he perishes again, won't he simply go back to Yomi anyway? After all, he freed himself twice and broke Izanami out of the realm. What is the problem?"

"…" The 'Above' Entity was silent before she looked over to her creations, "_What happens when a black hole collapses_?"

The five primordial entities became silent as they thought about their Creator's question. Then slowly, Death widened her eyes as a rare sense of worry passed over her face, with her siblings quickly catching on.

"Darling won't just die," She began as her voice took on a worried tone, "He won't ever _exist_."

* * *

><p><strong>Near Cocytus<strong>

Issei's expression was set into a serious look as he traveled through the portal he had summoned. He was relieved to have his body back, but every so often he could feel a slight pain that was both fleeting and constant, if such paradoxical terms could be used simultaneously. In the back of his mind, he assumed it was the effects of the power of the black hole incorporated in his soul.

Wincing slightly at the temporary sense of pain that accompanied him, Issei continued his journey towards Cocytus. As he looked further ahead, Issei blinked as he realized that the Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi hadn't spoken to him since he created the portal.

'Hey. Are you guys all right?'

_((Just keep going, kid. We'll make a plan as soon as you enter Cocytus.))_

_[Isssssei. Be careful about Sssssamael.]_

_{She's right, partner. You've never encountered Samael before, and that fact alone is enough reason for you to be wary of it.}_

'How dangerous is Samael?'

_((It's called the Dragon Eater for a reason, Issei.))_

Issei widened his eyes at the clone of Albion's words.

'What?! It eats Dragons?! That can't be!'

_{Don't be so literal, partner. Samael is a being who wields the power to destroy Dragons.}_

'Well, how strong is it? It's not as strong as Ophis or Great Red, right?'

_((...The Ouroboros Dragon and the True Red Dragon God Emperor are not immune to the powers of Samael.))_

Issei's shocked look was immediately replaced by a look of horror and outrage.

"N-no way! It's strong enough to hurt Ophis and Great Red?!"

Unbeknownst to him, a series of veins started to appear slowly on his cheeks, and his eyes became bloodshot as red veins appeared.

_{Calm down, partner. You need to keep a leveled head.}_

Much to Ddraig's dismay, he could sense his host's anxiety level continuously growing. Trying to settle himself, Issei's breath hitched as he neared the end of his destination.

_{Issei. Take a deep breath. We're almost to Cocytus, and as soon as we get there, we'll make up a plan.}_

Heeding the Welsh Dragon's advice, Issei narrowed his eyes and soared faster towards the portal. He could see a purple-colored mist glowing from the portal, and his eyes from the brightness. Increasing his speed, Issei entered the portal, finding himself into the deepest part of the Underworld.

* * *

><p>Gliding down onto the ground of Cocytus, Issei quietly looked around the area. All he could see was the purple structure of Cocytus, and that alone was enough to make the son of Amaterasu uncomfortable. Floating towards the ground with his head down, Issei grit his teeth angrily, unknowingly causing the veins on his cheeks to harden.<p>

"Damn him." Issei cursed, referring to Amenominakanushi, "He's that desperate to destroy me, he's willing to use Samael. How could he go this fa-GUH?!"

Issei was suddenly cut off when a ghastly taste suddenly erupted from his throat. His eyes widened in horror and shock as he hastily covered his mouth just in time before he vomited a pool of blood. Issei's eyes went bloodshot once more, while the veins on his cheeks pulsated fiercely. As he coughed out more blood, Issei looked on in astonishment as his hand was covered with a deep and dark crimson color.

His eyes widening, Issei gasped as his pupils and irises pinpointed to a narrowed edge. Red veins appeared in his eyes as he struggled to catch his breath.

"D-damn it! What's wrong now?!" Issei coughed out haggardly, the look of disbelief present on his face.

The son of Amaterasu felt a intense wave of pain spread within his body, the level so great that he couldn't think clearly.

_{Partner, hold on! You need to rest for a moment!}_

"What are you-" Issei started before coughing out another spurt of blood, "What are you talking about, Ddraig?! I have to-GAH!"

Damn it all! Why did this have to happen to him now? Out of all times, why now? He had just reunited with the portion of his soul. He was whole again, so there shouldn't be any problems!

_((Issei, stand down! We're going to summon you to your Inner World!))_

"No!" Issei shouted before holding back the urge to cough again, "There's no time!"

_[Sssssstop, Isssei!]_

"Wait don-!" Issei tried to tell his Dragons to stop, before he saw pitch black.

* * *

><p><strong>Issei's Inner WorldSubconscious**

Issei's eyes opened to the familiar sight of his Inner World. He would've had the chance to enjoy the sight if the wave of pain he had been experiencing earlier hadn't shot up again.

"D-damn it!" Issei moaned as he closed his eyes to endure it.

_{Partner, don't get up! Just stay where you are.}_

Issei opened his eyes to see the massive statures of the Welsh Dragon, the clone of the Vanishing Dragon, and the Yamata-no-Orochi looking down at him with concern. Gritting his teeth, Issei went to move, until the degree of pain increased, causing him to lay back down with a thump.

_{Damn it, partner! What did I just say?!}_

Issei winced at the Welsh Dragon's stern words, and he sent the latter an apologetic look in response. He swallowed a lump in his throat, a bit happy to realize that the taste of blood no longer accompanied his throat. Straining to move his head, Issei looked up at his Dragons.

"What's wrong now?" He asked almost in an exasperated tone, "I thought everything was good now."

_{…}_

_((…))_

_[…]_

Issei blinked as the Dragons didn't answer him. He started to feel a sense of dread overcome him as his pained look changed to a worried expression.

"What is it?" Issei asked cautiously.

The Welsh Dragon gave his a host a look of pity, as though he should take care to choose his next words carefully.

_{…You can't do this by yourself, partner.}_

Ddraig's words caused Issei's heart to stop momentarily. The Shinto godling's breath hitched in his throat as he stared wide-eyed at the Red Dragon Emperor.

"W-what?" He asked, his voice trembling.

_((You need help, Issei. In the condition you are in now…you do not stand a chance.))_

Issei's eyes widened even further as he ignored the urge to get up once more.

"W-what do you mean?" He asked, inwardly cursing himself for stuttering, "I can-"

_[Ssssstop. Isssssei needssss help. Issssei cannot do thisssss by himsssssef.]_

"Guys, wait!" Issei pleaded, unable to believe what he was hearing, "J-just liste-"

_{No, partner! You listen!}_

Issei's breath hitched again as the Welsh Dragon raised his voice. The Red Dragon Emperor's facial expression softened along with his tone.

_{You cannot defeat Samael or Amenominakanushi in this state, partner. Your body is weak.}_

"Weak?!" Issei exclaimed out of great confusion, "What do you mean?! I came back from Yomi, so my body should-"

_((Damn it, kid! Be quiet and listen!))_

The son of Amaterasu quickly shut his mouth, shocked at the clone of the Vanishing Dragon's outburst. Making sure that Issei was quiet, the clone looked over to Ddraig and nodded to him.

_{Partner…the black hole is a force of destruction. That is why Amenominakanushi used that force against you. But when you used the power of Albion's clone to absorb the essence of the black hole and incorporated it into the portion of your soul, only your soul received the destructive power and adapted to it. But the same cannot be said to your body.}_

Issei, remembering the clone of Albion's words, kept silent as he stared at Ddraig.

_{Your physical body was destroyed in the black hole, partner. So when you returned to Space in order to reunite with the portion of your soul, your original body did not return.}_

"?!" Issei gasped in shock.

_((Perhaps you hadn't noticed, but as of now, kid…you are unconsciously using the power of the black hole to maintain your form.))_

"Y-you…" Issei hesitated, surprised enough to not catch his stuttering, "You mean this isn't my original body anymore? It's just…a form?"

_{…Yes.}_

Issei's eyes started to tremble as more veins started to manifest on his cheeks. The eight heads of the Yamata-no-Orochi's eyes softened in concern, and they slithered down towards Issei.

_((As Ddraig said, you cannot accomplish the task of defeating Amenominakanushi by yourself. You need help, Issei.))_

_SLAM!_

The Dragons looked down to see Issei clenching his left fist after slamming it on the ground. His nails dug into his skin, causing tiny drops of blood to seep out.

"No! NO!" Issei shouted, causing the veins on his cheeks to pulsate, "It wasn't supposed to be like this! I was finally going to do it by myself! Everything was starting to go our way!"

_{Partner-}_

"Damn it! Damn it all! I promised Ophis that I would come back. I promised!"

_{Partner-}_

"No! I won't let it end like this. I can't!"

_{PARTNER!}_

Issei jumped as the Welsh Dragon quickly moved his head down to yell in his face. The son of Amaterasu shut his mouth tightly as he stared wide-eyed. Releasing a deep sigh, Ddraig looked his host in the eyes.

_{You need help, Issei. Do not ignore that fact.}_

"But I was-"

_((Look, kid! This is no time to for you to be arrogant, thinking you can do everything just to sho-))_

"THAT IS NOT WHY I'M DOING THIS!" Issei finally exploded, prompting Albion's clone to recoil slightly.

Ddraig backed away from his host, pausing just in time to see veins manifesting on Issei's forehead. Glaring at the clone of the Vanishing Dragon, Issei clenched his fist as he went to lift himself up. The eight heads of the Yamata-no-Orochi hissed in warning, not wanting Issei to get up.

"Don't you understand?!" Issei roared at Albion's clone, "I need to do this! I have to!"

_((Why, boy? Why do you feel you need to do this?))_

"Because I don't want to be a burden!" Issei immediately shot back.

_{Partner, quit spouting out nonsense! You are not a burden! Why do you always think that when you are the opposite?}_

"Is it really that hard to think about, Ddraig?! I keep attracting enemies. Enemies who constantly threaten my life, my friend's lives, and the lives of my family! _Every single time_! It never stops! _Never_! Just once, just _once_, I wish other beings would stop trying to fight me, and just _leave me alone_!"

There was a tense silence that surrounded the vast area of Issei's Inner World. Bitter droplets of water flowed down from Issei's eyes as he tried to stop his tears.

"I have to do this," He started quietly, "Because I want to prove to Ophis and Great Red that I don't need to depend on them to save me from the supernatural. That I could save everyone and make everything peaceful again."

The Welsh Dragon, the Vanishing Dragon, and the Yamata-no-Orochi looked solemnly down at their broken host. Narrowing his eyes, Ddraig glided over to his host, and placed his head near Issei's, making sure his host could listen to him.

_{Partner. It's all right. Believe it or not…other beings do need help in their challenges. Sure at times it is unnecessary, but it heightens the chances of victory to a large degree. It's not as though it is a deplorable act to receive help from others.}_

Issei silently looked over to the Welsh Dragon as the veins in his cheeks started to lessen.

"I wanted to do this by myself. I just…" He started before his words trailed off.

The clone of the Vanishing Dragon looked down at his host and he narrowed his eyes.

_((Ddraig is right, Issei. I understand you want to prove yourself. But know this, boy. You are not a burden. You are a God with the power of Dragons. For goodness sake, have some damn pride in yourself, and do whatever you can to win. This isn't some motivational speech I'm giving you, kid. I'm telling you the truth.))_

Issei frowned as he looked over to see the eight heads of the Orochi looking at him. One of the heads purred gently and stuck her tongue out. She licked Issei on his face, and purred more.

Looking at his host for a moment, Ddraig closed his eyes and glided away from Issei. Stopping in his pace, the Welsh Dragon turned his head to look at his host.

_{Don't ever be ashamed to ask for help, partner. It really isn't a bad course of action. And besides, Issei, you're not really the type of person to work alone anyway. I mean after all, the host of Albion is helping you, is he not? He is currently attempting to retrieve some Phenex Tears in order to heal all the solar deities. Even though he is not with you physically, he is still helping you from far away.}_

Issei blinked as he realized what Ddraig was telling him. He lifted his hand and put it on his forehead, sighing sadly.

_((It's all right to want help, kid.))_

Looking away for a moment, Issei turned his sight over to the Yamata-no-Orochi, and looked over to the Welsh Dragon and the clone of the Vanishing Dragon.

"…Who do we ask for help?" He asked resignedly.

Ddraig smiled slightly at his host, happy that he had finally agreed.

_{You kept a promise to Ouroboros and Apocalypse, so we won't ask them. Albion and his host are the Phenex mansion, and we have Albion's clone with us, so they are not needed.}_

_((The rest of the supernatural beings are at Mount Kalish, and they are all occupied with caring for their own solar deities. It'd be best not to distract them.))_

Issei's frown deepened as he tried to think of who could help them. He didn't want his family involved at all. Vali was busy, and there was no way he would ask the Omniversal Entity or the Shinigami. Who could he ask?

_[Evil Dragonssssss.]_

Issei widened his eyes in response to the Yamata-no-Orochi's words.

"W-what did you just say, Orochi-chan?"

_[Evil Dragonssssss.]_

The look on Ddraig's and the clone of the Vanishing Dragon's faces immediately darkened.

_{Don't even think about it, Orochi. It will not work.}_

_((I agree. The Evil Dragons are called 'evil' for a reason. They're the most vicious and brutal of our kind.))_

_[I am Evil Dragon asssssss well.]_

_{That doesn't mean anything, Orochi. The Evil Dragons want nothing more than to destroy everything. Just because you have reformed, does not mean they will do the same.}_

_[Isssssei is kind. If Isssssei is kind to other Evil Dragonssssss, they might help.]_

_{So naïve. If you recall, we fought three of the Evil Dragons along with Rizevim Lucifer. And besides, one of the Dragons included in their rank is someone I fought in the past. So as you can tell, he and I are not on good terms.}_

_[Issssei is kind.]_

_((Why do you keep saying that?))_

_[Isssssei did not dessstroy any of the Evil Dragonssss. Trihexa dessstroyed the Crime Force Dragon, the Cresssscent Circle Dragon, and the Diabolisssssm Thousssssand Dragon.]_

_{That may be true. But that doesn't change anything, Orochi. Grendel is psychotic, Aži Dahāka is cruel, and Crom Cruach harbors the tendencies of a battle maniac. There's no chance they will cooperate.}_

_[Isssssei is kind. He changed me. He sssshall change the other Evil Dragonsss as well.]_

_((I highly doubt that.))_

_{Yes, and what makes you think they've gotten any stronger? They've been in Death's Domain for six months.}_

_[Ssssstupid Welsssh Dragon said that Evil Dragonssss wisssh to dessstroy all. The sssstronger they are, the more they dessstroy.]_

_{…Touche'.}_

_((I still believe this is a bad idea, Yamata-no-Orochi.))_

_[Issssei is kind. He will sssucceed.]_

Issei stared as he listened to the conversation between Ddraig, Al, and the Yamata-no-Orochi.

"I don't know." He admitted, prompting the three Dragons to look at him curiously.

_[Isssei?]_

"I'm not sure, Orochi-chan. The residents of Shinigami-san's Domain can't leave without her permission. Even if they agree to help, it's not like we could just bring all of them with us."

_{Don't get carried away, partner. We're not bringing all three of them with us. It'd be bad enough if one of them were to turn against us.}_

_((Well if that is the case, then who should it be? Perhaps Grendel could-))_

_{Hold on, clone of Albion. Partner, who do you think who is the perfect candidate to help us?}_

Issei pursed his lips as his eyes narrowed. Looking up at the three Dragons, he gave them all a serious expression.

"Let's just try to talk to them first."

* * *

><p><strong>Death's Domain<strong>

The lost souls that existed in the Realm of the Shinigami formed themselves into a glowing mist. Due to the vast area of the realm, there were divided sections of Death's Domain that held each soul. One such soul, the spirit of Riser Phenex was sealed in another area, safe from the more vicious beings of the realm.

Held in another section, a deeper part of the Realm of the Shinigami, were the souls of the Evil Dragons that had fought in the war between Qlippoth and DxD. The three Dragons, although part of the same rank, held different attributes and appearances.

One of them had the appearance of a dark green Western Dragon with silver eyes. The Dragon stood on his hind legs in a similar fashion to a human's stance. Grendel, the Crime Force Dragon, growled irritably as he glared at the Dragon in front of him.

The source of Grendel's anger was a giant Dragon with three heads and six giant wings. Aži Dahāka, the Diabolism Thousand Dragon, sent Grendel a glower in response, his body exuding an intense magical aura.

"Enough you two." A cool and authoritative voice called out, prompting Grendel and Aži Dahāka to look over to the source.

The voice came from a tall man who wore a black coat. His hair was styled with the mixed colors of black and blonde hues, while his right eye was gold and his left eye was black. Crom Cruach, also known as the Cresent Circle Dragon, gave his comrades a stern glare, causing them to stand down.

The three Evil Dragons had been trapped in the realm of Death's Domain for six months. For so long they had been bitter over their defeat. It was almost a wakeup call for the three Evil Dragons when they realized that they could not leave the realm of the Shinigami.

Rather than dwell in self-pity, they all continued to train themselves, growing stronger through each passing month. If they were going to be stuck in Death's Domain for the rest of eternity, the least they could do was fight and train with each other.

"Come on, Crom Cruach!" Grendel exclaimed, "I can take this bastard!"

"You're only training, or did you forget already?" The Crescent Circle Dragon firmly reminded him, "Do not get carried away, lest you want to experience the memory of what happened six months ago."

Grendel's eyes widened at the memory of his slaughter at the hands of the Trihexa. Despite his bloodthirsty nature, not even he could prevent his body from shuddering. He was pulled back into reality when he heard a mocking snicker come from Aži Dahāka, and he turned to glare at him murderously.

"Who do you think you're laughing at, you swine?!" He roared as he stomped over to Aži Dahāka, "If I remember correctly, you got your ass kicked by 666 as well!"

Aži Dahāka's amused expression immediately dissolved into a hateful glare, and he huffed in response. Crom Cruach rolled his eyes as he walked towards his comrades. Before he opened his mouth, he stopped when he began to feel a strong yet faint energy signature nearby. Grendel and Aži Dahāka noticed as well, taking a temporary truce to watch the flow of energy that suddenly appeared.

The energy formed into a familiar young man with brown hair and brown eyes. The surprised looks on Grendel and Aži Dahāka's faces immediately darkened at the sight of the son of Amaterasu, who had prominent and pulsating veins on his cheeks and forehead.

"YOU!" Grendel bellowed.

"What the hell are you doing here, you brat?!" Aži Dahāka roared.

"…Issei Hyoudou." Crom Cruach calmly greeted.

Issei looked on cautiously as he stared face-to-face with the three Evil Dragons. He felt unsure about the whole situation. Despite the Yamata-no-Orochi's encouragement, Issei didn't know if this plan would work. Sure, he had come up with some convoluted plans in the past. Vali could attest to that.

The Yamata-no-Orochi was so adamant of her plan that Issei didn't hesitate to place his full trust in her.

"I…" Issei hesitated as his confidence started to slowly drop.

The murderous and indifferent stares he was receiving unnerved him deeply. Taking a deep breath that he almost forgot he was holding, Issei prepared himself for the outburst.

"I need…" He began quietly, "Your help."

**Please Read & Review :)**


	52. Change of Plans Part 2

**Death's Domain**

It is said that one's greatest enemy can also be his or her greatest ally.

Issei was really starting to doubt that saying.

_((Nobody ever said it would be simple, kid. It never is.))_

Feeling a bit put-off by the clone of Albion's words, Issei sent his sight over to the Evil Dragons.

"This is a rather peculiar request, Issei Hyoudou." Crom Cruach stated in a blunt tone.

"Y-you dare have the audacity t-to-!" Aži Dahāka fumed, too angry to even speak coherently, "How dare you?!"

"You've got some nerve coming down here, you brat!" Grendel raged.

The auras of Grendel and Aži Dahāka expanded violently, causing several of the lost souls that surrounded them to float away. The two Evil Dragons growled fiercely at the son of Amaterasu, the latter maintaining his calm stare. The only one not expressing any ounce of animosity towards Issei at all was Crom Cruach, who continued to stare at him curiously.

'Why are you here, son of Amaterasu? Six months we have been trapped here, and now all of a sudden you appear before us. What on Earth are you planning?'

Issei held back a sigh as he tried to endure the auras of the two volatile Evil Dragons. He was already beginning to doubt this plan. But he absolutely and wholeheartedly trusted the Yamata-no-Orochi. After all, she was an Evil Dragon as well.

_[Issssei. Trussssst me.]_

Issei certainly didn't have any plans of his own at the moment. His plan that involved Vali was still ongoing. The host of the Vanishing Dragon was at the Phenex mansion in the Underworld. So now he had to do _his_ part. Part of him wondered if he should tell Vali what the new plan was; regarding if this plan would even have a possible chance of working. Either way, there was no doubt his rival would be pissed off at him.

But it wasn't like he had a choice. Amenominakanushi was going to release Samael, and as Ddraig and Albion's clone stated, Issei was in no position to fight _both_ the Shinto Kami and the Snake of Eden. If Samael was powerful enough to harm Ophis and Great Red, there was no way the Solar God could hold a chance against it by himself.

Issei's eyes narrowed as the veins on his cheeks started to harden and pulsate again. He was beginning to have doubts in himself again, but he knew he shouldn't be.

Everything had been going so well. He had returned from Yomi and was able to reunite with his soul fragment. Then he had confided in Vali to help him revive the weakened solar deities.

But _now_, Amenominakanushi had the smart idea of freeing Samael from its prison in Cocytus. For all the times Issei was able to create his own strategic plans, or 'convoluted plans' as Vali referred to them as, they managed to work eventually. He just hoped the Yamata-no-Orochi's plan would work.

"Hey!" Aži Dahāka shouted, bringing Issei out of his thoughts, "Answer us, you fool! What is the meaning of this?!"

"You dare come down here?!" Grendel raged, "Do you honestly think that after what you did to us six months ago, you deserve our help?!"

"What I did to you?" Issei questioned, "What exactly did I do to you?"

Grendel's already explosive aura shot out as he charged at Issei in a great burst of speed. The Western Dragon lowered his head and went to head-butt the Solar God, until the latter brought his arm back, and palmed Grendel's head. The force caused the Western Dragon to stop to a screeching halt, much to Issei's relief.

'Well, this isn't going well.' Issei thought to himself.

_{Did you honestly think it would, partner?}_

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Ddraig's quip, Issei looked Grendel in the eyes, his expression growing equally as fierce.

"Damn it! We don't have time for this!" Issei declared before releasing his aura, pushing Grendel further away from him, "I need you guys to listen to me real quick!"

Grendel widened his eyes and stopped his pace as he regained his stance. He growled ominously at the son of Amaterasu and assumed a threatening position. Aži Dahāka, just as angry as Grendel, allowed his body to glow with a menacing aura. Issei gritted his teeth as he hesitantly released more of his aura. As he did so, more of his aura caused the veins on his forehead to throb with a blackish hue, which did not go unnoticed by the silent Crom Cruach.

"Don't have time?!" Aži Dahāka yelled incredulously, "Oh you don't need to worry about that! We have all the time we need! Plenty of time for us to destroy you like the trash you are!"

"Instead of trying to kill me, why don't you guys just listen to what I have to say?!" Issei shouted, starting to lose his patience.

"You're clearly delusional if you think we're just going to listen to _you_ of all people!" Aži Dahāka said angrily, "Especially since you are the cause of what happened to us!"

"Me?!" Issei exclaimed incredulously before shaking his head furiously, "Oh no! No, no, no, no, NO! I may have been the cause of several deaths before, but you _absolutely_ cannot blame me for what happened to any of you! You guys caused your own deaths! Not me!"

"What do you mean we caused our own deaths?! Don't put the blame on us, brat!" Grendel moodily replied, "You joined those pathetic creatures of the Three Factions! All in order to stop us from destroying your precious planet Earth!"

"Then you turned the Apocalyptic Beast to your side, and ordered it to destroy us all!" Aži Dahāka put in his two cents, "So don't you dare say you didn't cause our deaths!"

Issei's left eye twitched as he tried to force himself to calm down.

"Y-y-you _idiots_!" He started, before raising his voice and pointing to Grendel and Aži Dahāka, "You guys were the ones who wanted to fight the Trihexa! _You_ were the ones who wanted to test her strength and see if you could defeat her! But it didn't work! You underestimated 666! And for one thing, I never ordered her to destroy you guys! She probably wouldn't have done anything to you guys at all if you hadn't declared your intention to fight her in the first place!"

"Well, it's not like there was anything to prevent you from telling the Trihexa to _stop_!" Grendel shouted back, "It was on _your _side, brat! So you could've told her to quit attacking us!"

"Really, Grendel? _Really_?!" Issei incredulously asked, "If I remember correctly, Crom Cruach himself told you to be cautious because he knew exactly how powerful 666 was! Hell, even Rizevim of all people told you to stand down! But what did you do? You let 666 have the first move! And you have the nerve to tell me that I could've told her to stop, when you didn't listen to a single word Crom Cruach and Rizevim said?!"

Grendel suppressed an annoyed grumble of humiliation as he glowered venomously.

"As much as I hate to acknowledge it, he's got you there, Grendel." Aži Dahāka admitted, prompting Grendel to give him a fierce look.

"Guh?! How dare you agree with him, you bastard! Don't forget, you were also destroyed by 666!"

"And Crom Cruach told you to calm down too, Aži Dahāka." Issei pointed out.

"Damn it, you little runt! Shut your mouth!" Aži Dahāka snapped, "I already agreed with what you said!"

"Issei Hyoudou." Crom Cruach stated calmly.

Issei turned his head to look at the Crescent Circle Dragon, who was giving him an analytical and calculated look.

"You said you wanted our help," He began before narrowing his eyes, "Would you care to explain why you require _our _help?"

Issei, inwardly relieved to finally talk to a _calm_ Evil Dragon, sighed as he manifested the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in his hand. At the motion, Grendel and Aži Dahāka released defensive growls simultaneously, only to stop in confusion as they watched a vast manifestation of black energy rise above Issei. The energy formed into the shape of the Yamata-no-Orochi herself, with her eight heads hissing at the three Evil Dragons.

With the exception of Crom Cruach, both Grendel and Aži Dahāka widened their eyes in shock.

"Y-Yamata-no-Orochi?!" Grendel questioned, "What are you doing stuck with the son of Amaterasu?!"

"Y-you traitor! How dare you show your presence like this?!" Aži Dahāka accused his fellow Evil Dragon.

"Calm down, you two." Crom Cruach ordered, prompting both Evil Dragons to look towards his direction, "This is the Yamata-no-Orochi. But not entirely."

"What do you mean entirely?" Aži Dahāka asked.

"It's a fragment of its soul that was sealed in the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi." The Crescent Circle Dragon explained, "Both you and Aži Dahāka should remember what happened to the original. Before it sealed a portion of its soul in the sword, it was slain by the Kusanagi by Susanoo-no-Mikoto."

At the mention of the Shinto storm god, the Yamata-no-Orochi hissed loudly, before calming down as Issei looked up at her and pet two of her eight heads.

"It's all right, Orochi-chan. He's gone now." He reassured her.

"_Orochi-chan?!_" Grendel repeated in horror, "How dare you?! Don't call the Yamata-no-Orochi something as disgraceful as that idiotic name!"

_[Be ssssilent, Grendel.]_

Grendel held back a snappy retort before muttering to himself. He couldn't believe it. The Yamata-no-Orochi, submitting to a pathetic godling. What had the world come to?

"So, Welsh Dragon," Crom Cruach began as he crossed his arms, "You summoned the Yamata-no-Orochi. But you still didn't explain why you are asking _us_ for help."

"Well to be perfectly honest, it wasn't really my idea." Issei admitted as the Yamata-no-Orochi receded into his subconscious, "It was Orochi-chan's suggestion to come to you guys."

"Then you can take that suggestion and shove it up your a-" Aži Dahāka snapped, before Crom Cruach interrupted him.

"What are you planning, Issei Hyoudou? You came down here to ask for help, and yet you haven't elaborated what the problem is."

"I know exactly what the problem is!" Grendel started before Issei could answer, "He wants us to clean up his mess, because he once again managed to piss someone off!"

"Damn it, Grendel!" Issei cursed, "That is not what I'm here for! I'm just trying to save the Earth and everyone else!"

"Again?! Ugh, disgusting! Always the hero!"

"It has nothing to do with heroism, Grendel!" Issei insisted.

"Don't bullshit us, brat!" Aži Dahāka growled, "Who the hell did you manage to piss off this time?! You probably did something stupid, didn't you?!"

"For your information," Issei started brusquely, "My opponent, the douche bag I'm fighting, is pissed off at me for a stupid reason, so don't blame me for pissing him off when I wasn't even trying to! I do one good thing, and I get my life threatened for no reason! And now that idiot is planning to use Samael on me just because he wants me dead!"

This time all three of the Evil Dragons fixed Issei with a look of genuine horror and shock. Crom Cruach's calm look immediately faded as he walked over to Issei to look him in the eyes. Issei widened his eyes at the unreadable look on the Crescent Circle Dragon's face.

"Do not try to joke with us, son of Amaterasu." He threatened coolly, "No being is foolish enough to use that insidious creature."

"And besides, it's sealed in the realm of Cocytus." Aži Dahāka pointed out.

"The one I'm fighting is a God just like me, Aži Dahāka." Issei replied seriously before he shook his head, "No, not just a God. He's a Kami. The first Kami of Shintoism. Because of that, he can travel through any realm he wants to."

"You lie!" Aži Dahāka accused.

"If he is that desperate to use Samael against you, then you _really_ must have pissed him off, brat." Grendel deadpanned, "Is there ever a time when you're _not_ being an annoyance?"

"…That aside," Issei said, dismissing Grendel's insult, "That's why I need all of your help."

"Well, you can forget it!" Aži Dahāka shouted, "You got yourself into this mess! If you're not strong enough to fight the Kami of Shintoism and Samael on your own, then you're better off dead! Face it, you fool! Your precious Earth is doomed because you're useless!"

"Listen up, Aži Dahāka!" Issei exclaimed as he pointed to him, "This thing between Amenominakanushi and I isn't even a fight anymore! It's all disproportionate retribution on his part, and he's been giving me so much hell that it's driving me insane!"

Crom Cruach, Aži Dahāka, and Grendel widened their eyes as a distorted and ghastly afterimage of Issei's face stretched out of his head. The Solar God's eyes went bloodshot as he clutched his forehead, his body wincing in pain. As the veins on his forehead and cheeks solidified, Issei sent a dark scowl over to the three Evil Dragons.

"First that bastard destroys the Sun," Issei began as he looked away momentarily, "Then he sends me into a black hole! And even after I came back and fused with that same black hole, everything still went wrong! Why?! Why does this always happen to me?! Why can't the supernatural world just leave me the hell alone?!"

Only Crom Cruach looked up in response to Issei's new information.

"…Stop whining, you fool." Grendel chastised harshly.

Issei's scowl deepened as he looked Grendel in the eyes, and the Western Dragon gladly took that as a sign to continue.

"Do you think that this world is going to magically just leave you be? Newsflash, shithead! You're a God with the power of Dragons! A weakling of a God, but a God nonetheless! You're always going to be surrounded by the creatures of this world, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it! You want people to stop attacking you and your pathetic world?! Well, tough shit! You can never stop the flow of the supernatural world!"

Issei stared wide-eyed at the Western Dragon. Were he and Grendel actually having a semi-heart to heart conversation? The son of Amaterasu continued to look at the Crime Force Dragon in shock, before the latter huffed in annoyance.

"Stupid brat." He muttered, "You can never escape from the ambiance of this world. So get over your own problems and deal with them instead of crying about it! "

Aži Dahāka glanced over to Grendel, hiding his surprise at his comrade's words.

'What is that bastard thinking?'

"Issei Hyoudou…"

Issei and the two Evil Dragons looked over to Crom Cruach, who had his eyes closed.

"We do not have permission to exit this realm." He began, "Only the Shinigami's consent allows our freedom. Unless…you have a way to transport us out of this world."

This time they all widened their eyes at the strongest Evil Dragon.

"What the hell are you thinking, Crom Cruach?!" Aži Dahāka exclaimed in shock, "Don't tell me you are considering this brat's request! We don't owe him anything! Nothing at all!"

Crom Cruach ignored Aži Dahāka's shout of surprise as he looked Issei in the eyes. The Solar God's eyes widened further at Crom Cruach's expression.

_{Crom Cruach.}_

"Ddraig." Crom Cruach greeted the Welsh Dragon, "Like my comrades stated, your host has a lot of nerve coming down to this realm to ask us for help."

_{That is true. And like Aži Dahāka said, neither of you owe my host anything.}_

Crom Cruach set his lips into a thin line as he narrowed his eyes. Turning to look at both Grendel and Aži Dahāka, he gave them a stern look of authority.

"Grendel. Aži Dahāka." He began.

Aži Dahāka stared at Crom Cruach, before his three heads widened their eyes. As he went to speak, Grendel beat him to the punch.

"Are you kidding me?!" He roared, "Crom Cruach, this runt doesn't deserve our help! Besides, if he can't defeat that Shinto bastard and Samael all by himself, then that's tough shit! The Earth and everyone that lives on it can go die for all I care!"

Crom Cruach stared at Grendel with a hard gaze, causing the latter to glare harshly at the former.

"What?!"

"…Do you still have the urge, Grendel?"

"What are you talking about? What urge?"

"The urge to destroy." Crom Cruach explained, "If you are an Evil Dragon, then your blood-lust and the want to fight and kill should still remain."

"G-guh?!" Grendel stuttered before replying angrily, "Don't you question me, Crom Cruach! Of course I want to kill and destroy everything in my path! That is what it means to be an Evil Dragon!"

"That is true, Grendel. But you cannot do any of that."

"And why not?!"

"Because we're dead, you moron!" Aži Dahāka retorted moodily.

"No one was talking to you, bastard!" Grendel shot back before turning to Crom Cruach, "What's your point?"

"Think, Grendel." Crom Cruach replied, "These past six months consisted of us training and fighting each other. While we may have the satisfaction of fighting, none of us have the pleasure of killing one another, or even the lost souls that exist in this Domain. After all, how can one kill another, if they are already dead?"

Grendel stared at Crom Cruach for a moment, before he widened his eyes. Crom Cruach took that a sign to continue his words.

"You lust for the action of killing and physical combat more than anything, Grendel. And unless we leave this Domain with the son of Amaterasu, you may never experience those pleasures again."

Issei, who had been silent during the entire conversation between the Evil Dragons, stared wide-eyed. Was Crom Cruach actually helping him? Did the Yamata-no-Orochi's plan work?

_{This is completely unlike Crom Cruach.}_

The Solar God couldn't agree more with the Welsh Dragon.

"Damn you, Crom Cruach." Grendel muttered darkly, "You are putting me in a real bind here."

Crom Cruach turned his head over to Aži Dahāka, who stared back at him with annoyance. Narrowing the eyes of his three heads, the Diabolism Thousand Dragon looked over to the Solar God, his scowl deepening.

"Well, brat." He started harshly, "Do you have the means in which to escape from this wretched place?"

"…I need to know something."

"What now?" Grendel said impatiently.

"I need to know if I can trust you guys." Issei answered, prompting the Diabolism Thousand Dragon to roll the eyes of his three heads.

"Don't question us, you brat!" Aži Dahāka snapped, "We're helping you, aren't we?"

Issei widened his eyes in shock as three of the Evil Dragons nodded and looked at him expectantly. He blinked several times as he tried to adjust to what had happened.

"H-hold on." He stuttered, inwardly cursing himself, "You guys are-"

"Yes, shithead!" Grendel snapped, "But don't get the wrong idea! Don't think we're all going to become goody-two shoes like you and become your 'best buddies'! I just haven't killed for a while, and I don't want to miss the opportunity you presented to us."

Issei continued to look at the Crime Force Dragon in surprise, causing the latter to feel an intense wave of annoyance.

"Would you stop gawking at us already?!" He exclaimed, "Just get us out of this realm before I change my mind!"

The Solar God couldn't believe it! The Evil Dragons were going to help him!

"I-I," Issei hesitated as he tried to gather his words, "I don't know what to say…"

"How about you don't say anything at all and free us from this realm?" Aži Dahāka quipped.

Issei nodded quickly as he placed his hand in front of him, summoning a large portal.

_{Partner.}_

Issei blinked at the sound of the Red Dragon Emperor's cautious tone.

'What is it, Ddraig?'

_{Realize what you are about to do. You are transporting three deceased Evil Dragons out of the Shinigami's realm without her permission. There is no doubt that she is going be angry with you when all of this is over.}_

Issei frowned at the Welsh Dragon's words.

'I don't want Shinigami-san to be angry with me. But I'm in a bad place right now, Ddraig. I'll do anything to protect what's close to me, even if I have to suffer more consequences.'

_{…Be careful, partner.}_

Narrowing his eyes, Issei glanced over to Crom Cruach, Grendel and Aži Dahāka. As he placed his hand to his side, Issei sighed.

'I need to talk to Vali.'

* * *

><p><strong>Underworld (Outside of the Phenex Mansion)<strong>

Vali scowled to himself as he waited for Ravel Phenex to bring him the Phoenix Tears. He didn't bother to go inside the mansion; since he was going back to Mount Kalish as soon as he got the tears. In the back of his mind, he hoped his rival knew what he was doing.

Narrowing his eyes, he looked up at the sky of the Underworld and placed his hands in his pockets.

/Vali. /

The host of the Vanishing Dragon widened his eyes at the sound of the familiar voice.

'Issei.' He replied telepathically before frowning, 'What is it now?'

/…/

'Hyoudou, what is it?'

/…There's been a change of plans. /

Vali's frown immediately darkened.

'What do you mean, _change of plans_? Hyoudou, what is going on?'

/It's Amenominakanushi. I think I underestimated how much he really wants to kill me. /

'You should be used to it by now.' Vali sarcastically replied, 'What is he planning now?'

/…/

'Issei, stop hesitating! Just tell me!'

/He's planning to use Samael. /

Vali's heart momentarily stopped at the name of the horrid creature.

"…What?"

/He's going to use Samael on me, Vali. /

'You can't be serious! Sure, Indra was desperate enough to use the Leviathans as a power source, but Samael? No one is that dumb or desperate!'

/You can say that again. /

'Issei. Tell me where you are so I can meet up with you. You can't fight Samael on your own.'

/No! Vali, don't! I just need you to get the Phoenix Tears! Just stay at the mansion! /

'The tears can wait, Hyoudou. You can't do this by yourself!'

/Damn it, Vali! Don't do this! I don't want you to get hurt! /

'And I don't want a dead rival! Hyoudou, tell me where you are!'

/Who's going to get the Phoenix Tears if you're with me?!/

'I'll figure something out. Now tell me.'

/…Darn it, Vali. Okay, fine. I'm heading straight to Cocytus, but there's something else I need to tell you. /

'You're starting to annoy me, rival. Hurry up.'

/Just promise me you won't freak out./

'Spit it out, Issei.'

/I know I can't beat Amenominakanushi and Samael by myself, so I got some help./

Vali raised an eyebrow in response.

'Who?'

/…The Evil Dragons. /

'…'

/…Vali? /

'…You have a lot of explaining to do, rival. I'll meet you at Cocytus.'

Severing the connection between him and Issei, Vali huffed and scowled to himself.

"Goddamn it, Issei."

* * *

><p><strong>Cocytus<strong>

The silence within the deepest part of the Underworld was immediately destroyed by a portal manifesting in the realm. The portal opened wider, revealing Issei and the three Evil Dragons. While Issei and Crom Cruach maintained their calm expressions, Grendel and Aži Dahāka continued to scowl darkly.

"I sense a suffocating pressure in this world." Crom Cruach commented.

"Are you sure it isn't just Samael you're sensing?" Grendel quipped.

As Issei walked forward, he stopped as he sensed a vast source of energy imbued with negative emotions.

_{You sense it too, partner?}_

'What is this, Ddraig? Is this Samael's power?'

_{Yes. Its pure hatred. Hatred for Dragons.}_

_((It must be able to sense us.))_

'I sense so much suffering and pain from this power. But I can't see where Samael is.' Issei said in his thoughts.

_**So, Issei Hyoudou. You've returned.**_

Issei immediately tensed at the sound of the Shinto Kami that was currently being a thorn in his side. His calm expression immediately disappeared as he glowered darkly at the smirking form of Amenominakanushi.

As the veins on his cheeks pulsated again, Issei charged towards the Shinto Kami, and reared his fist back to attack. As he neared closer to inflict damage, Issei moved his fist forward, until Amenominakanushi's body began to morph into a different shape as he smirked.

"YOU BASTA-!"

Issei suddenly felt himself stop, his fist still projected forward. His bloodshot eyes widened in a combination of horror and fury.

"N-no…"

Standing in front of him was no longer the form of Amenominakanushi, but a familiar brown-haired woman with warm and soft eyes. The twisted smile on her face, however, contrasted greatly against her eyes.

"L-L-Leiko-san?!"

'Leiko' smiled darkly as 'she' looked down at 'her' body.

_**Such a pathetic godling.**_

Issei's breath hitched in his throat. The 'woman' looked and sounded just like Leiko. An exact copy of the original, with the voice slightly distorted.

_{Partner, do not be fooled by his trick!}_

The Solar God's eyes twitched as he grit his teeth at the disguised Amenominakanushi, who continued to smirk at him in his new form.

**I_nteresting, very interesting. I had contemplated on taking on a much different incarnation to send you into the deepest depths of despair. But it seems that the form of Leiko Hyoudou is more than enough to break you._**

"Damn you!" Issei snarled, "You'd go this far?!"

_**What's wrong, son of Amaterasu? You said that you were going to kill me. Surely me, the Kami of Shinotism taking the form of your mortal cousin will not hinder your attempts to strike me down.**_

"Change back." Issei warned quietly as he clenched his fists.

_**Oh that's right. You would never hurt your poor, weak cousin, would you? In this form, you wouldn't dare attack me, the person that has cared for you ever since you were a weak child.**_

Amenominakanushi/'Leiko' then formed a look of fright as 'her' bright eyes stared at Issei imploringly.

_**I-Ise-itoko? You wouldn't hurt me, would you?**_

"_Change…back._"

Losing the frightened look, 'Leiko' smiled darkly as 'she' crossed 'her' arms.

_**No, I do not think I will. I think I'll maintain this form, since you seem so hesitant to attack me, a fact that will ultimately lead in your downfall, son of Amaterasu. Well, that and Samael.**_

Issei's pupils and irises constricted as another ghastly image of his face stretched off of his head. Turning to look at the three Evil Dragons next to Issei, Amenominakanushi scoffed.

_**I see you have gathered allies. A wasteful effort. It does not matter how many of you there are.**_

"Listen up, you bastard!" Grendel shouted, "We all came here to fight! So either you release Samael already so we can kill it, or we kill you!"

Amenominakanushi's smile turned into a slightly annoyed look.

_**Fools. As if you could ever hope to damage me. But if you wish to die quickly, then I will oblige and take you to Samael.**_

"What do you mean take us to Samael?" Aži Dahāka questioned, "We can sense it in here!"

_**Correction. What you are sensing right now is the remnant of Samael's power in this realm. Samael is no longer here, as I have transported it to another location.**_

"Where did you send Samael?" Crom Cruach asked.

Amenominakanushi's smirk returned as his new form turned to look at Issei menacingly. Despite his ever-increasing anger, Issei was feeling so much torture. Amenominakanushi was using the form of Leiko to taunt him. Her voice and appearance…it hurt so much.

_'**Ise-itoko' should know where. After all, it is the location where he experienced his first battle with the world of the supernatural. It is also the realm where 'I' was kidnapped.**_

Issei's eyes widened at the memory. The memory of his battle with Riser, and the image of Leiko supposedly perishing at the hands of Riser's Queen.

Spotting the look of terror on Issei's face, Amenominakanushi/'Leiko' smiled ominously.

**The Arena of the Underworld. The realm where you awakened your powers for the first time. But know this, foolish child.**

'Leiko' sauntered over to the shocked and comatose Issei, smirking darkly as 'she' stopped inches from his face. The disguised Shinto Kami chuckled, enjoying the look on the Solar God's face.

**Everything that has happened in your life started in that realm. **

A vortex suddenly manifested behind Amenominakanushi/'Leiko', and the Shinto Kami smirked at the look on Issei's face. Looking towards the portal, the Kami adopted a look of callousness and locked Issei with a cold stare.

**However, your life shall end in that same realm, Issei Hyoudou.**

The vortex engulfed Issei, the Evil Dragons, and Amenominakanushi, sending all of them to the Arena of the Underworld.

_Where the final battle of the Solar God...shall take place._

**Please read & review :)  
><strong>


	53. Help Arrives

**Cocytus**

Vali Lucifer wasn't normally this temperamental. One could even say that he was a calm and collected guy of sorts.

"Albion?"

_(Yes?)_

"Where are we right now?"

_(We're in Cocytus.)_

"And where's Issei Hyoudou?"

_(He's not here.)_

"I see. And correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Cocytus the location Hyoudou said he was going to be in?"

_(…Yes?)_

"Yes, indeed. Now answer me this question."

_(Yes, Vali?)_

"_Where the hell is Issei Hyoudou_?!"

But for reasons unknown to even Vali himself, Issei Hyoudou had a habit of bringing the worst out of him. That wasn't to say he hated his rival. Indeed, he considered Issei Hyoudou a worthy opponent. On Issei's side however, he considered Vali to be a close friend, a fact that often befuddled Vali. Then again, his rival wasn't exactly a social expert, so he probably had no idea what a 'best friend' truly was.

The host of the Vanishing Dragon sighed in irritation. He had to give Ophis and Leiko Hyoudou props for the amount of time they spent dealing with his rival. Vali could never understand the boundless patience the two had towards Issei Hyoudou.

But the love that Ophis held for Issei _was_ said to be 'infinite'. Leiko Hyoudou's affection for Issei on the other hand, stemmed from the typical notion of a _massive _'cousin-complex'.

'God, Issei Hyoudou's family is weird.'

_(Vali.)_

"What is it, Albion?" He answered, a bit peeved that his train of thought was cut off.

_(Why didn't you take the Phoenix Tears up to Mount Kailash?)_

"Because the tears of four Pure-Blooded Devils aren't enough to heal the large number of solar deities. That's why I sent the tears to Azazel so he can use that machine of his."

_(We have not seen the Fallen Angel in a while, Vali.)_

"So?"

_(That means he's not aware of what has been happening lately. Someone is going to have to explain what's going on. Otherwise this plan is worthless.)_

"Not to worry, Albion. I wrote down a summary."

_(A summary?)_

"What's wrong with that?"

(_Nothing, nothing! I'm just suggesting that perhaps you should have told him face to face.)_

"We're all in the middle of a crisis, Albion. There's no time for chit-chat."

_(I'm just saying…)_

"Back to the subject at hand." Vali said as he rolled his eyes, "Where is Issei Hyoudou? If he's not in Cocytus, then-"

"Oh my _god_, would you shut the hell up and stop talking to yourself?!"

Vali's expression darkened as he turned to find the source of the voice. His eyes immediately narrowed at the sight of a certain bisected Fallen Angel floating in a purple stream of energy.

"Kokabiel?"

"Don't say my name in such a questioning manner!" The Fallen Angel shouted.

_(Being trapped seems to have taken a toll on this Fallen Angel's sanity.)_

'What sanity?' Vali quipped mentally.

Looking over to the Fallen Angel, Vali crossed his arms.

"Did Issei Hyoudou pass by this realm?" He asked.

"Maybe he did, maybe he didn't!" Kokabiel sneered.

"Ok, Kokabiel." Vali blankly began, "I'm going to give you five seconds to tell me where Issei Hyoudou went, and if you don't tell me, I'll kill you right here, right now."

"…He went to the Underworld." Kokabiel muttered.

The host of the Vanishing Dragon narrowed his eyes as he shot his hand forward. Kokabiel widened his eyes as he watched Vali manifest a crimson sphere of energy from his palm.

"If you're lying to me-"

"I swear I'm not lying!" Kokabiel shouted, "He really is in the Underworld!"

"I was just up there, Kokabiel."

_(What part of the Underworld did he go to?)_

"You heard the Dragon." Vali said, increasing the size of his energy blast, "What part?"

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Laboratory<strong>

"Ah! It feels so good to be out of that ice prison!"

Azazel smiled as he rubbed his wrists, his muscles loosening from the tight feeling. The Fallen Angel looked over to see Asia staring at him in concern, while Izanami remained at her spot, leaning on the wall. Sporting a thankful smile, Azazel gave the Primordial Shinto Goddess a nod.

"Thanks for freeing me from that trap." He said in gratitude, "It looks like after Asia healed you, some of your strength and vitality returned. So you should be feeling better than you did before."

Izanami gave Azazel an unreadable stare, before she looked down to the blonde-haired girl next to her.

"Mortal child." She began as her half-lidded eyes widened, "What was that power you summoned upon me?"

Asia widened her eyes at the question, before she gave Izanami a warm smile.

"It's my Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing." She answered, "It's a blessing that God gave to me."

'God?' Izanami questioned in her thoughts, 'Is she referring to the Biblical God? The supreme being that derives from the Christian mythology?'

For all her time trapped in Yomi, Izanami had almost been completely unaware of the events that pertained to the rest of the mythologies of the world. She could remember long ago that she had made a deal with the Greek God Hades, which consisted of the Olympian bringing her 'adorable grandson' to her, in exchange for a few lost souls that existed in the realm Yomi.

Replaying the memory in her head, Izanami's eyes narrowed in a look of melancholy and disappointment. What a fool she had been back then. Being trapped in Yomi had taken a massive toll on her sanity, deteriorating to the point that her feelings and emotions were forever twisted beyond repair.

And yet, after everything she did to Issei, he forgave her. She had passed her murderous rage towards Izanagi onto her little grandchild, and still, he had saved her. The thought of it was still hard for Izanami to comprehend. Her grandson decided to free her from Yomi, the cursed world where her former husband had trapped her in.

So…what now?

She certainly didn't want to go back to Takamagahara. Yes, it was her place of origin. And yes, it was her home-world. But she didn't want to go back. She wanted nothing to do with the realm. The horrible experiences she suffered, along with the chilling ambiance of Yomi itself were torturous to her mind. She couldn't go back.

But where could she go?

Earth? There was no possibility. Before Izanagi completely sealed her in Yomi, she vowed that for every fifteen hundred lives he brought to existence, she would destroy one thousand of them each day. Six months ago, she had almost succeeded that vow when she manipulated Rizevim Lucifer and told him how to unseal the Trihexa.

But even that wasn't enough. Her little grandchild cared too much about the people that resided upon the planet; specifically his human parents, and _especially_ that mortal cousin who wielded an almost abnormal amount of affection and love towards him. What was her name again? Reiko? Leiko?

'…Huh.'

And people said _she_ was obsessive.

"E-excuse me? Miss?"

Her thoughts coming back to reality, Izanami brought her sights to Asia, who looked up at the Shinto Goddess with her ever-present smile.

"Are you all right now?" She asked kindly.

The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death was a bit marveled on how the mortal child was so concerned about someone she barely knew. Long ago, she would have called the girl a sentimental fool. Then again, Issei had done the same.

'Foolish grandchild...' Izanami muttered, her pale face blushing with suppressed gratitude.

These new emotions were going to take longer to get used to.

"I am fine, mor-" Izanami stopped her words, struggling to resist the tendency to call the girl 'mortal', "Asia."

Asia's smile widened in response, and she moved her attention to Azazel.

"Azazel-san. Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm feeling better than ever, Asia-chan." Azazel answered good-naturedly before looking towards the window, "The Earth on the other hand, is a different story."

Asia's smile disappeared as her eyes went over to the window, and she sighed sadly. Izanami was silent as she followed the other two's line of sight. At their looks of confusion, Izanami narrowed her eyes.

'Have they not realized what has happened? Even the mortals that exist on this planet are completely unaware of what is happening. The Sun has been obliterated, and the Earth is just beginning to feel the after-effects.'

Izanami's eyes lifted as her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

'Amaterasu…'

No doubt the Goddess of the Sun was devastatingly weakened. And so was her little grandchild. Both were severely weakened at the hands of the first Kami to come into Shintoism. The being who summoned her and Izanagi into existence and had charged them with the job of creating the first land.

'Amenominakanushi.'

She never would have expected the 'god who came into being alone' to target Issei. Why would the Kami even think to attack her little grandchild? Amenominakanushi had no vendetta against Issei, and only Izanami's consciousness had become part of the supernatural world to influence the events around Issei. So what did Amenominakanushi have against Issei?

…No! It couldn't be! Amenominakanushi couldn't be that petty!

'Is he targeting Issei because he released me from Yomi? But that is completely unnecessary! My grandchild did not know what would happen after my release!'

How could the first Kami of Shintoism be so spiteful? Sure, she had no right to criticize Amenominakanushi, but still.

Looking over to Azazel and Asia, Izanami inwardly sighed.

"It seems you are not aware of what has transpired." She started.

"What do you mean?" Asia asked.

"…The Sun has been destroyed."

The Fallen Angel and Human widened their eyes in shock.

"T-the Sun?!" Asia exclaimed, "So that's why the sky looks so strange at this time of day!"

"Humph." Azazel huffed as he put his hand on his chin, "Whoever did this must be really angry with Issei Hyoudou."

"Wait, hold on!" Asia exclaimed to Azazel, "Who did you say?"

"What? Issei Hyoudou?"

"That's Leiko-san's cousin! She talks about him all the time! She told me he was some sort of 'Super Saiyan' or something!"

'Super Saiyan?' Izanami tilted her head, a bit confused by the name.

"Super Saiyan, huh?" Azazel asked in amusement, "That sounds like something she'd say."

"The one who destroyed the Sun is the progenitor of the Shinto mythology; Amenominakanushi." Izanami explained, "His reason for doing so was because my grandchild freed me from Yomi."

"Humph. That's a rather petty reason for trying to destroy someone." Azazel deadpanned, "So the Sun's dead. That means Amaterasu and the other solar deities are in a bad situation."

"But what are we going to do, Azazel-san?" Asia asked in urgency, "The Earth needs the Sun to survive!"

"…That's a good question, Asia-chan." Azazel mused.

As if on cue, a silver magic circle suddenly manifested on the ground. The three occupants in Kuoh Academy covered their eyes from the bright light. The glow from the magic circle dimmed, revealing four large vials filled with clear liquids. Lying next to the vials was a single piece of paper in a folded fashion.

"What are those?" Asia asked curiously as she watched Azazel walk over to the note.

"Well let's find out, shall we?" Azazel answered as he looked at the first part of the note.

The Fallen Angel narrowed his eyes, his orbs of sight trailing over the paper.

"…Huh. It's from Vali."

"Vali-kun?" Asia questioned.

"I sense a strange power in those four vials." Izanami muttered.

"You'd be right, Izanami-no-Mikoto." Azazel commented as he smirked, "They're filled with the tears of a Phoenix."

"The Phoenix Tears?" Asia asked before she tilted her head, "Why would Vali bring us that?"

"His note says that Issei Hyoudou is fighting an opponent from the supernatural, and that he's going to join him in the battle," Azazel explained before commenting, "Hmm, sounds like something Vali would do."

"What else does the note say?" Izanami questioned.

She hoped it would explain more about those Phoenix Tears. They couldn't be for the people of Earth, despite the planet no longer receiving the energy of the Sun.

"It says to take the Phoenix Tears to Mount Kailash." Azazel read before raising an eyebrow, "Mount Kailish, huh? That's where the Hindu God of Destruction lives."

Noticing that the paper was still folded, the Fallen Angel opened the rest of the note.

"Hmm," Azazel hummed as he looked it over, "Apparently Shiva's holding a meeting of the Gods in his realm. Predominately, the factions of the Shinto and Greek mythologies are there."

Izanami widened her eyes in shock at the information.

'Shinto?! So Amaterasu is present at Mount Kailash! And if that is the case, then that means the Phoenix Tears…'

"Ah, I see." Azazel smirked in amusement, "Issei Hyoudou and Vali are planning to use the Phoenix Tears to revive the solar deities on Mount Kailash. But four vials aren't enough to heal all of them. What were those two thinking?"

"They probably thought you would come up with an idea, Azazel-san." Asia suggested, "Maybe they thought you could make more or something."

Azazel widened his eyes, and he turned to look at Asia in astonishment.

"Asia, repeat what you just said."

"Huh? U-um, they probably thought you would come up-"

"No, no. The very last part."

"…Maybe they thought you could make more?"

"That's the one!" Azazel exclaimed with a confident smirk as he walked towards the four vials of Phoenix Tears.

The Fallen Angel picked the vials up and ran towards the farthest part of his laboratory, spotting the parts of an old invention. At the sight of the machine, Azazel frowned in disappointment.

'I used Issei Hyoudou as a test subject for this machine, and because of that a part of his personality was able to dissociate from his psyche.'

Azazel had learned his mistake. He really was telling the truth when he said that he never meant to harm Issei Hyoudou. But maybe, just maybe he could actually use this machine for more useful purposes.

Looking down at the vials, Azazel smirked and set his sights over to the remnants of his machine.

'My doppelganger machine. It should be able to create more of these Phoenix tears if I tinker with it correctly. Rebuilding it should be a piece of cake.'

Turning to look at Asia and Izanami, Azazel sent them a nod.

"Asia-chan. Izanami-no-Mikoto." He said, "I'll need some assistance from the both of you. I have a plan that might be able to bring the Sun back where it belongs."

Asia's smile returned as her green eyes shined.

"That's great! Of course I'll help you!"

"…"

At Izanami's lack of response, Azazel raised a questioning eyebrow at the Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death.

"So what do you say?" He asked her, "You wanna help save the world?"

Izanami stared silently at Azazel, her half-lidded eyes narrowing slightly.

_Heed my words, Izanagi! If you leave me, then I shall destroy one thousand residents of the living forever!_

_Then I will give fifteen-hundred lives in return!_

The Shinto Goddess' heart beat painfully against her chest at the memory. The memory of the last words exchanged between her and Izanagi. Just thinking about it made her head hurt.

Now that she was free from Yomi…could she really go through with her long-declared promise? Did she really want to save Earth?

Aside from her grandson living upon it, Izanami had no significant attachment to the planet at all. Even before her imprisonment in Yomi, the Earth never garnered any of her interest.

"Izanami-san." A soft voice pulled Izanami out of her thoughts.

The Shinto Goddess turned to look at the large green eyes of Asia staring up at her.

"I…I'd really appreciate if you would help us. There are a lot of good people on Earth, and they don't deserve what's happening right now." Asia said sweetly.

If not for the bright emerald color, Izanami could easily compare the girl's eyes to the eyes of her grandchild. So pure and full of innocence.

Unfortunately, she and a number of other supernatural creatures had brutally destroyed Issei's innocence a long time ago.

"It wouldn't be far-fetched for you to do so," Azazel pointed out after a long silence, "You _are_ the Shinto Goddess of Creation _and_ Death after all. You've been a deity of Death for so long, I think it's about time you've changed your status back to Creation. Don't you think so?"

Creation and Death? That was her title, wasn't it?

She had tried many attempts to kill her 'adorable grandson'. Those attempts failed miserably, due to the insanity that clouded her mind. But she was sane now, a feeling that bothered her more than it should have. So now that her sanity had finally returned…

Izanami lifted her face up as she looked over to the Fallen Angel. The Earth didn't interest her, but her grandchild resided on the planet. And he seemed to have a close relationship with his human parents, and that mortal cousin of his.

Inwardly sighing, Izanami slowly nodded in assent, causing Asia's smile to widen in excitement.

"That's wonderful!" She exclaimed as she clasped her hands together and looked over to Azazel, "Ok, Azazel-san, what's the plan?"

Azazel smirked as he walked over to his doppelganger machine. Turning around to look at Izanami and Asia, the Fallen Angel sprung his arms out.

"We rebuild this machine!" He declared.

There was an awkward silence as both the Shinto Goddess and human girl looked at the Fallen Angel blankly. Azazel noticed this and placed his arms down in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"U-um," Asia stuttered as she twiddled her fingers, "I'm not really good with technology, Azazel-san."

"…" Azazel was silent as he looked over to Izanami expectantly.

The Shinto Goddess, with an expression that was akin to annoyance, sent Azazel a blank stare.

"I have been trapped in Yomi for over millennia, Fallen Angel." She reminded him, "What would you expect of me?"

A bit amused by Izanami's attempt at snark, Azazel chuckled as he shook his head.

"Not to worry, ladies. I've got the technological stuff all covered. I just need the energy from the two of you to enhance the properties of the Phoenix Tears."

"Enhance?" Izanami questioned.

* * *

><p><strong>Arena of the Underworld<strong>

The forms of Amenominakanushi, Issei, and the Evil Dragons manifested in the arena. Issei, the only one familiar with the location, narrowed his eyes. He immediately hated the atmosphere of the realm. Despite everything that happened, he still had bad memories of this place.

_**Ahh~~~such nostalgia. This is where it all started, 'Ise-itoko'.**_

Issei slowly turned to look at Amenominakanushi, his face set in a ominous snarl. The Kami had the _audacity_ to use his cousin's form against him.

'He doesn't deserve…_to wear her face_!'

_{Partner, calm down! He is trying to drag you down by taking her form! Remember that the woman in front of you is not Leiko Hyoudou!}_

Issei tried to listen to the Welsh Dragon's warning. But it was so hard to ignore that face sneering in front of him. Leiko had been with him since the very beginning. Her presence was something that brought a sense of warmth and normalcy in Issei's erratic life, but she was much more important than that.

"Hey!" Grendel shouted to the Shinto Kami, bringing Issei out of his thoughts, "Where the hell is Samael?! You said it was here!"

Amenominakanushi scowled at the belligerent Western Dragon.

_**Are you that eager to die so quickly, Crime Force Dragon?**_

"Not to die! To kill!" Grendel retorted.

Glaring at the Crime Force Dragon and the rest of the Evil Dragons, Amenominakanushi set his sights over to Issei.

_**You must be desperate, Issei Hyoudou. Out of all beings, you choose the Evil Dragons as your comrades.**_

"You're trying to send Samael after me, _and_ you took my cousin's form to throw me off!" Issei shot back, "And you're calling _me _desperate?"

The scowl on Amenominakanushi's face deepened, and the Kami quickly shot a silver sphere of energy towards the Evil Dragons.

"Look ou-GAH!"

Issei widened his eyes as he shot out a small black hole in front of his 'comrades', only for the Shinto Kami to summon another black hole near Issei's foot, causing the godling to trip. Amenominakanushi smirked ominously as the sphere of energy encased the three Evil Dragons.

"?!"

"What the-?!"

"The hell, man?!"

Issei regained his footing and flew away from the black hole. He quickly looked up to see the trapped Evil Dragons, and widened his eyes.

"No!"

"What the hell, brat?!" Aži Dahāka shouted to Issei, "You didn't tell us he could do that!"

"I didn't know he was going to do that!" Issei insisted.

"Issei Hyoudo-" Crom Cruach began, before Grendel rudely cut him off.

"Well you better find a way to free us!" Grendel threatened, "We didn't come with you just to be trapped aga-!"

Grendel's threat was cut off when another layer of Amenominakanushi's energy covered the sphere, muting the noise within it entirely.

Issei sent his glare over to Amenominakanushi and gritted his teeth.

"What are you planning to do with them?!"

'Leiko' rolled 'her' eyes in annoyance.

_**Come now. Did you honestly think I would let you have an advantage against me?**_

The veins on Issei's cheeks hardened, bringing a slight pain to his skin. With Leiko's form, Amenominakanushi adopted a sinister smile.

_**But you know what? You've survived this long, foolish child. I suppose I'll give you a gift for managing to make it this far. Would you like to know what my gift is to you, my 'Ise-itoko'?**_

"Change back, Amenominakanushi!" Issei warned, "Stop using Leiko's form and her voice."

_**I believe I already told you that I've decided to stay in this incarnation, Issei Hyoudou. Now back to your gift. Your present will be to see the arrival of Samael, and the destruction that will fall upon the Evil Dragons. You will be the first to see the power of Samael.**_

"…Why?"

Amenominakanushi's smile disappeared as he adopted a serious look. His eyes narrowed in suppressed curiosity.

_**What do you mean, 'why'?**_

"Why are you doing all of this?" Issei asked, his tone neither angry nor curious, "What have I _ever_ done to you?

_**What sort of question is that?**_

"Are you doing all this because I freed Grandma from Yomi?!" Issei questioned, "Is that _really_ the reason why you're trying to kill me?!

_**You truly haven't realized it, have you?**_

"Realized what?"

Amenominakanushi stared at Issei as he adopted a scowl.

…_**Think about what you have done, you foolish child! In the past, you've disrupted the cycle and concept of Shintoism and the other mythologies!**_

"What do you mean, 'disrupted'?!" Issei exclaimed.

_**You know exactly what I mean! Aside from you freeing Izanami-no-Mikoto, you obliterated Riser Phenex, and destroyed both Susanoo-no-Mikoto and the Heavenly Emperor Indra, for your own selfish purposes!**_

"SELFISH PURPOSES?!" Issei roared.

The poisonous aura of the black hole formed around Issei, causing the arena of the Underworld to shake in tremors. The son of Amaterasu clenched his fists in suppressed fury.

"Riser used his peerage to capture Leiko-san and tricked me into believing that she was killed! Susanoo threatened Ophis, Great Red, and Leiko-san, and then tried to kill me all because he wanted the Kusanagi sword back!" Issei shouted to the Shinto Kami, "Then Indra sent those two bastards Heracles and Siegfried to test my skills right after they tried to hurt Leiko-san! An-"

_**AH-HAH! Now the pattern reveals itself!**_

Issei widened his eyes when Amenominakanushi suddenly pointed to him with a triumphant smirk.

"What are you talking about?"

_**It's her! It's always been about her! Think back to your first fight in the supernatural world. Your battle with Riser Phenex. Why did you fight him? Because he ordered his peerage to kidnap Leiko Hyoudou! And let me ask you this question, Issei Hyoudou. How did your first solar transformation emerge?**_

The Shinto Kami felt an extreme bout of sadistic pleasure as the look on Issei's face turned to an expression of despair and horror.

_**It manifested when Riser Phenex forced you to watch as his queen 'destroyed' Leiko Hyoudou in front of your eyes. And even after he revealed that she was still alive, you obliterated him. Do you realize the pattern yet, Issei Hyoudou?**_

The answer was all on Issei's face as his body shook. Amenominakanushi smirked as he used Leiko's form to hug himself.

_**Some of the enemies you encountered have done one thing in common, son of Amaterasu. They THREATENED Leiko Hyoudou. The moment they did that, you lost your sense of restraint. And I know why.**_

Issei's breath hitched in his throat.

_**Leiko Hyoudou…keeps you SANE.**_

The son of Amaterasu widened his eyes in horror. What did Amenominakanushi mean? What was he saying?

_**Think about it, foolish child. What would you have done if Riser's Queen had legitimately killed Leiko Hyoudou? I know exactly what you would have done. Not only would you have destroyed Riser Phenex anyway, but you would have obliterated everyone that was present at this arena!**_

"That…that's not-"

_**You know, it is puzzling how a mortal like her has so much influence on you. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that Leiko Hyoudou is the ONLY reason your sanity remains intact. She is the only thing preventing you from going on an endless rampage of gore and destruction.**_

Issei's fists tightened, causing small droplets of blood to seep out from his skin. He didn't want to hear any more.

_**Don't believe me?**_

Using Leiko's form, Amenominakanushi adopted a look of sadness, causing the incarnation's eyes to grow brighter.

_**Issei? What would you do if something ever happened to me? You'd protect me, wouldn't you?**_

"Stop that!" Issei hissed ominously.

_**Oh poor 'Ise-itoko'. What would you ever do without me? You wouldn't be able to live with yourself, am I right?**_

Another ghastly image of Issei's face stretched off of his head. 'Leiko' sent the son of Amaterasu a small pout as 'her' lips puckered slightly.

_**We both know that no matter how many times you save me, it would only be **__**wasted effort in the end. No matter what you do, I'm not going to live forever. I'm only human. And you'll outlive me, my precious 'Ise-itoko'. But then again, you might not.**_

Issei's breathing grew ragged and harsh as he struggled to control himself.

_**After all, you'd do anything for me, wouldn't you? You'd do ANYTHING.**_

Issei involuntarily tensed as 'Leiko' once again sauntered over to him. 'She' placed 'her' arms behind 'her' back, and leaned in to give the son of Amaterasu a pleading and wide-eyed stare.

_**You've saved me so many times, and protected me for so long, my 'Ise-itoko'. So would that mean…you'd DIE for me?**_

What happened next was so instantaneous that neither Issei nor Amenominakanushi were aware enough to catch it.

FALCON PUNCH!

Amenominakanushi's body suddenly ejected as he crashed onto the ground, causing cracks from within to emerge. Heavily surprised, the Shinto Kami grunted as he struggled to lift the body of his new incarnation.

Rubbing the sore mark on his face, Amenominakanushi widened his eyes as he removed his hand, only to see dark-red blood. Widening his eyes further, the Shinto Kami set his sights over to Issei, who glowered ominously at him. The Solar God's arm was shot forward, his fist clenched in a tight fashion.

_**Y-you punched me!**_

"_You destroyed the Sun, and sent me into a black hole_," Issei quietly emphasized through gritted teeth, "_And don't even think for a second that the other punch makes us even_."

_**What other pun-**_

_{BOOST!}_

_FALCON PUNCH X2!_

Issei rushed over to the disguised Amenominakanushi and sent a devastating punch to his face. As the Shinto Kami recoiled from the attack, he tensed when Issei suddenly tackled him, causing both of them to roll onto the ground. Recovering his balance, Issei stood up and grabbed Amenominakanushi by the foot, and proceeded to smash his body on the ground repeatedly.

_**Sto-stop this!**_

Issei didn't heed the Shinto Kami's words. Amenominakanushi had the gall to continue using Leiko's voice. Did the Kami think that just using her voice would be enough to stop his attack?

Narrowing his eyes, Issei lifted Amenominakanushi by the neck, and threw him onto the ground, keeping his hand on his throat. The son of Amaterasu balled his other hand in a fist, ready to strike.

"I would never die for Leiko-san." Issei began menacingly, "Because I'll never stop protecting her!"

Leaning his face forward, Issei bared his teeth and tightened his fist. Amenominakanushi struggled to keep his composure, his surprise at the turn in situation revealing itself.

"You don't _deserve_ to wear her face!" Issei bellowed as he embedded the Shinto Kami deep into the ground.

Amenominakanushi couldn't count the amount of hits the son of Amaterasu had inflicted upon him. Issei's punches were relentless, the poisonous power of the black hole increasing his strength. More veins manifested on Issei's cheeks and forehead, causing a slight wince of pain.

As he continued to rapidly punch the Shinto Kami, Issei tried to ignore the battered image of his cousin. The Kami was still using Leiko's form, bringing Issei further down the road of despair. But his anger was increasing to a large degree.

As Issei went to land another punch, he was suddenly sent back by a powerful kick from Amenominakanushi, causing him to crash onto the ground. Issei quickly shot back and looked to see Amenominakanushi struggling to get up.

Lifting himself up, Amenominakanushi snarled to himself.

'_**What is going on here?!**_

'Leiko' sighed in irritation and suddenly looked up at Issei with wide and pleading eyes. The Solar God almost lost control right then and there.

_**'I-ise-itoko', Why? Why would you do this to me? How could you?**_

Amenominakanushi was too late to react as Issei suddenly sped up and punched him upwards, causing the Kami to soar up to the sky. The godling quickly floated above the Kami and kicked him down towards the ground. As soon as Amenominakanushi crashed onto the hard surface, Issei flew down and stomped onto his stomach harshly.

_**AHHHHHHHH!**_

The Shinto Kami screamed out in pain, but Issei only heard Leiko's scream, and that alone made him more furious. Manifesting the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in his hand, Issei tightened his hold and stabbed the Kami in the chest.

_{BOOST X4!}_

The power of the Welsh Dragon increased the sharpness of the Kusanagi, causing Amenominakanushi's pain to soar to new heights. Issei gripped the Kusanagi with both hands, and drove the sword deeper into Amenominakanushi's body.

_**GAHHHHHHHHH!**_

"Change! Back!" Issei ordered.

Amenominakanushi, wincing at the intense pain, snarled as he struggled to eject the Kusanagi out of his body. He force-pushed Issei off of him, and went to remove the sword, only for Issei to rush back and manifest the sword of the Vanishing Dragon. He stabbed Amenominakanushi in the leg.

_((HALF DIMENSION!))_

Amenominakanushi widened his eyes in horror as the size of his incarnation began to diminish. Widening his eyes further, the Shinto Kami summoned a black hole from under his body, allowing him to escape. Narrowing his eyes, Issei quickly grabbed the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon, and clasped them in his hands.

He gritted his teeth as he looked around to search for Amenominakanushi.

"Don't you dare run away from me, you coward!" He roared, his voice echoing out through the arena of the Underworld.

"Humph. Now this is the Issei Hyoudou I prefer to see."

Issei widened his eyes and turned around to see a familiar person with dark silver-hair and ice-blue eyes with a light ultramarine color. The Solar God tensed as he took on a defense position.

Vali Lucifer inwardly sighed as he looked at his rival.

"Calm down, rival." He reassured, "It's me."

"…How can I be so sure?" Issei asked threateningly.

_(Hmm. I haven't seen Issei Hyoudou this serious in a long time.)_

'I do. Remember the first time we met him?'

_(Ah, yes. When he bisected Fallen Angel Kokabiel. He's wearing the same expression.)_

Vali looked at his rival, a bit put off by the look he was receiving.

_((Kid…it's Vali. I'd recognize the presence of my original incarnation anywhere.))_

_{Albion's clone is right, partner. It's really him.}_

Issei looked at Vali with a serious glower, unknowingly giving his rival chills. A few seconds later, his expression softened as he moved into a more comfortable position. Vali looked his rival over, and walked towards him.

"Looks like you've been through a lot, Hyoudou."

Issei didn't respond, his body trembling. Noticing his rival's silence, Vali looked up at the silver sphere of energy floating in the sky.

"I assume those are the Evil Dragons trapped in that sphere?"

Once again, his rival was silent. Vali narrowed his eyes at the lack of response, and he firmly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Issei."

The host of the Welsh Dragon looked towards the host of the Vanishing Dragon. Vali had never seen Issei this broken before. Narrowing his eyes further, Vali tried to think of what to say.

"I got the Phoenix Tears."

A bit of light shined in Issei's eyes at the information, a sight that Vali was slightly happy to see.

"I was only able to get four," Vali explained further, "I thought it'd be best if I sent them to Azazel so he could manufacture them."

Issei's eyebrows furrowed a bit in confusion, before his eyes widened in recognition.

"The Doppelganger machine…"

Vali raised an eyebrow in response.

"How did you know?"

"Because he used that machine on me a long time ago." Issei's voice was flat, the memory of his dissociation present in his mind.

Not wanting to make his rival relive any more unfortunate memories, Vali looked up at the sphere that encased the Evil Dragons.

"You must have been really desperate to beat Amenominakanushi if you're placing your dependence on the Evil Dragons. Come on, Issei. Out of all the plans you've come up with, this one was a little far-fetched."

"What was I supposed to do, Vali?" Issei asked quietly.

"You were supposed to find the right people that can actually help you." Vali responded.

"…"

Vali frowned as he noticed the pulsating veins on his rival's face.

"Your energy's decreasing, Hyoudou. Does this have something to do with you apparently becoming a black hole?"

"This isn't my body anymore, Vali." Issei admitted, "Well, not my original body anyway."

"I'm not following."

"Before I contacted you to get the Phoenix Tears," Issei began, "I was battling Amenominakanushi in space. One thing lead to another, and he ended up summoning a black hole to destroy me."

"All right, go on."

"So in order to survive, I told Albion's clone to decrease the size of the black hole, while I used Ddraig's transfer ability to seal a portion of my soul into the swords."

"…Ah." Vali hummed in understanding, "So the black hole that tried to destroy you, ended up melding with the portion of your soul."

"Right."

"So what happened to your body?"

"Well after I was destroyed, the rest of my soul was sent to Yomi. So I broke out and reunited with my soul. But…even though my soul became full, my original physical body didn't return."

"So essentially it's a body that was born out of death."

"And all it can do is die." Issei finished solemnly.

"…You've really put yourself into a bind, haven't you Hyoudou?"

Issei sighed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, I guess so."

_**You fools…**_

Issei and Vali widened their eyes as they turned to see a black hole manifesting far away. The original form of Amenominakanushi stumbled out, his body struggling to mend itself. The Shinto Kami glowered darkly at the son of Amaterasu, and the appearance of the Vanishing Dragon.

"So you're the guy who's been giving Hyoudou so much trouble." Vali stated.

_**So you've acquired yet another ally, Issei Hyoudou? How desperate can you be?**_

"You're one to talk, Shinto Kami." Vali snarked, "You're so desperate to beat Issei Hyoudou, you're willing to use the Dragon Eater against him. It's almost amusing."

_**How so?**_

"If you alone still can't bring Issei Hyoudou down," Vali began with a smirk as he shrugged in nonchalance, "You'll never beat me."

_**GAH?! How dare you?!**_

"Humph," Vali huffed, "You think you have the power to control the Dragon Eater? To use it as your trump card? Good luck, because it won't work."

Amenominakanushi scowled at Vali's insolence.

_**You underestimate the will of my power, Vanishing Dragon!**_

"If you want to, go ahead and summon Samael. See what happens." Vali goaded.

"Vali-" Issei spoke before he was cut off.

'Relax, Hyoudou. I know what I'm doing. You've already run out of plans, so it's about time I made mine.'

_**You'll regret those words, you fool!**_

Regaining his balance, Amenominakanushi placed his hand forward, his palm glowing with an threatening aura.

_**The time for the emergence of the Evil Intention of God is now!**_

_ZUOOOOOOOO…_

Manifesting behind Amenominakanushi was a gigantic magic circle. Issei widened his eyes as he felt an ominous and overwhelming aura emit from the circle. The arena of the Underworld shook from the intense vibration. There was a freezing air that gave the son of Amaterasu chills. He'd never sensed anything this harmful.

_{Partner! Be very careful!}_

Issei's eyes widened in horror at the tone of Ddraig's voice. He sounded completely terrified.

A gigantic ominous being with strange features appeared out of the magic circle. Issei could see the regular characteristics of a Fallen Angel, such as the head and torso and the black wings. But he also saw that the being was impaled on a _cross. _There were tools of restraint binding the being, with unknown letters written on the tools. The letters were placed on its eyes, with tears of blood dripping from them.

Issei's breath hitched in his throat as the full body of the creature appeared. It appeared to have the body of a Asian Dragon, with nails driven through its scales!

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…_

_**Do the two of you hear its wail?**_

Both Issei and Vali looked over to Amenominakanushi.

_**Pain, jealously, suffering, resentment. Most of the well-known emotions of negativity.**_

The Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon both narrowed their eyes as a glowing black mist emitted out of the creature. Issei felt bile rise up in his throat at the feeling of needles poking his skin. Smirking at the son of Amaterasu, Amenominakanushi turned around to look at the creature behind him.

_**The poison of God. The Evil Intention of God. The being that seduced the people of Eden to consume the Fruit of Knowledge. That was the first crime, son of Amaterasu. A crime so devastating that the Biblical God himself cursed this creature.**_

Issei stared at the creature in surprise.

_**Issei Hyoudou, allow me to introduce this beast. The one that will end you. This…is Samael. He is a being that was made of the evil intentions of the Biblical God. A entity who received many kinds of poisons and curses on his body. Not only can it extinguish Dragons but it can affect other beings besides Dragons, so it was sealed in the depths of Cocytus. The curse it received from God is the ultimate poison to Dragons!**_

Issei grit his teeth in pure rage, while Vali looked on solemnly. Suddenly, Vali let out a amused laugh, causing both Issei and Amenominakanushi to look at him in confusion.

The silver armor of the Divine Dividing Sacred Gear manifested as it covered Vali. The gleaming aura of the armor brightened as white lights were released.

"So our opponent is you and Samael," Vali declared, "I certainly have no complaints. It's been a while since I've had a good fight!"

Issei stared at his rival in astonishment.

'Why is Vali so happy?!' He exclaimed in his mind, 'doesn't he realize how dangerous this is?!'

Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Amenominakanushi looked up at Samael and pointed directly to Issei and Vali.

_**Dragon-Eater Samael! Bring me victory by devouring the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon!**_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Please read and review! :)<em>**


	54. The 'Love' of the Supernatural

**Warnings - ****This chapter involves the following tropes:**

**Genius Loci - A**** location with a mind; a sentient planet, country, island, city, or street.**

**Possessive Paradise - A sentient setting with a possessive yandere complex for anyone unfortunate enough to visit.**

* * *

><p><em>Sentience. The power to feel and perceive. <em>

_Consciousness. The state of awareness. _

They were such strange words to _It_. They were also abilities that _It_ never once thought was possible to wield. Of course _It_ did not attain the power by its own will. Or rather, lack of will.

_It _has existed since the beginning and emergence of actuality itself. _It_ was a primordial force whose existence heavily predated that of the first beings created by the dweller of the **Omniverse**. _It_ served, or rather continues to serve as the residence, lands, structures, and innumerable realms of the otherworldly entities.

In the past, _It_ had no traces of consciousness; nor did it have the ability to experience awareness.

As the years passed, otherworldly creatures suddenly manifested onto _It_, their populations increasing exponentially. Soon, the Gods and Buddhas, Devils, Fallen Angels, and the Angels took residence upon _It_, labeling the primordial force as their home.

For over millennia, _It_ served as the land embodiment of the otherworldly creatures. During those years, _It_ was unable to think. _It _could not move, or sense the beings that resided upon it.

But all of that changed due to the actions of an insane deity whose very existence derived from the Shinto mythology. The primordial Shinto Goddess who had merged her mind, no, her full consciousness with _It_.

Izanami's fusion with _It_ had caused a rather strange reaction. With the Goddess' mind melded with _It_, the former had unwittingly, or rather unknowingly bestowed the latter with the ability of_ sentience_. As a result, the consciousnessof _It_ became flooded with the knowledge it gained from drawing upon the emotions from Izanami-no-Mikoto. _It_ had gained the ability to emulate emotions, while its own thoughts began to accumulate in its consciousness.

_It_ had never experienced the concept of emotions, or even awareness before. The new-found sentience _It_ had acquired, became more prevalent the longer Izanami-no-Mikoto kept their minds linked.

While 'fused' with the mind of Izanami-no-Mikoto, _It_ could do nothing but watch as the Shinto Goddess manipulated its 'power' to observe and stalk the target of her obsession.

The son of Amaterasu. The child of Shinto.

_Issei...Hyoudou._

When_ It first _came to being, it willingly represented and became the embodiment and residential landmark for the creatures that dwelled upon it. _It_ served as their home, their shelter, and their battlefield. As their home, _It _was devoted to continue its function.

But with Izanami's consciousness fused with _It_, a foreign emotion that _It _was unfamiliar with, slowly began to manifest.

_Obsession…_

However, the concept of the emotion known as obsession was not the only aspect of feeling that was transferred to the 'consciousness' of _It_.

There was also _hatred_. But not towards Issei Hyoudou.

_It_ knew that it could never hate the _sweet, sweet, _little Shinto child. _It_ hated that Issei wanted nothing to do with it. The child always said that _It_ wouldn't leave him alone. That _It_ was obsessed with him and only wanted to hurt him. And because of that, he was going to find a way to rebel against _It_ and do whatever he could to avoid contact.

After all, _It_ referred to the 'will' of the **s****upernatural world **itself.

If the supernatural world had teeth, it would grit them in irritation. If it had a face, it would have formed it into an expression of annoyance.

Izanami-no-Mikoto had used the power of the supernatural world to stalk and manipulate the events around the son of Amaterasu. During those times, the manifested feelings that the supernatural world itself endured, were that of intense animosity and helplessness.

Yes, it had gained sentience due to its one-sided fusion with the Shinto Goddess. On the other hand, the son of Amaterasu had grown to be wary of the supernatural world, and wanted nothing more than to lock himself away from it.

The consciousness of the supernatural world couldn't _stand_ that.

The child was born from Shinto mythology, and the Shinto Faction took residence upon the world of the supernatural. So from that logic, the child of Shinto _belonged_ to the supernatural world.

With its newly gained sentience, the supernatural world couldn't endure the Shinto child's tendency to stray away from it.

Although the supernatural world voluntarily served as the land and residence for every mythological creature, its affection for the one known as Issei Hyoudou was far more deep-seated. It's fondness towards the Shinto child was more fervent, overwhelming, and it constantly increased the longer the consciousness of the supernatural world and Izanami continued to watch Issei.

The supernatural world's 'love' for the Shinto child was limitless.

Yes. Its lovely_ little shut-in_.

The consciousness of the supernatural world **loved** Issei. Or maybe it was obsessed with him. Perhaps it was deeply in love _and_ obsessed with the child.

Its beloved shut-in had succeeded in removing Izanami-no-Mikoto from the realm of Yomi, which in turn had severed the connection between the Shinto Goddess and the consciousness of the supernatural world.

At that period in time, the 'emotions' fluctuating within the supernatural world were that of extreme happiness and relief, its link with Izanami-no-Mikoto destroyed.

With the supernatural world finally free from Izanami's influence, it could irrevocably enjoy having its own sentience.

If the supernatural world had a voice, it would have sighed in blissful happiness.

The child of Shinto was so special, so strong and yet so sad. Even if he was surrounded by the likes of the Dragon God, the True Dragon, the people of Earth, and the rest of the otherworldly creatures, he was still so very lonely.

So, so lonely.

Now…all the supernatural world wanted to do was _cover_ Issei Hyoudou and keep him in its clutches.

_Forever…_

And now it finally could. Its little shut-in, along with the descendant of Lucifer, were currently fighting against the Kami of Shintoism; Amenominakanushi.

The supernatural world wanted to smother Issei Hyoudou and never let him go, but the latter wanted to get away from the former for as long as possible.

The supernatural world felt an intense wave of 'anger' at the son of Amaterasu's resistance, but it still loved him. If its little shut-in thought that staying away from it was enough to deter its 'desire' to keep him, then Issei had another thing coming.

If the supernatural world had eyes, it would have narrowed them.

The Infinite Dragon God may have marked the child of Shinto as its mate at the sixth year of his life, but that meant absolutely nothing to the supernatural world.

If the supernatural world had a mouth, it would have curved its lips upward into a smirk.

As if it needed to _mark_ the child to justify who he belonged to.

Eventually, the child would have to accept his heritage, and realize that even if he was raised on Earth…

He still _belonged_ to the supernatural world.

* * *

><p><strong>Arena of the Underworld<strong>

Vali Lucifer smirked widely within the armor of his Divine Dividing Sacred Gear. He wasn't lying when he stated that he hadn't had a decent fight in a while. Part of it was due to his rival's _annoying_ tendency to isolate himself from the supernatural world and its dwellers, leaving Vali to fight weaker opponents.

But the host of the Vanishing Dragon wouldn't let that bother him now. If anything, he was very ecstatic. He could feel the rush and excitement of battle, his lust for fighting becoming more and more predominant in his thoughts.

Looking towards his rival, Vali's determined expression morphed into one of annoyance. The look on his rival's face was an expression of complete rage and astonishment.

The descendant of Lucifer's frown deepened. He wasn't using to seeing his rival like this. Sure, Issei could be a bit naïve and good-natured in times of peace. But whenever there was a supernatural event going on, his rival's personality would immediately turn a one-hundred eighty degree angle.

Right now however, Vali could see that his rival was no longer calm and collected. Issei's entire body, as well as his eyes, trembled in fury and uncertainty. The Vanishing Dragon had to admit that he was surprised and shaken to see Issei like this.

Never before had he seen his rival in such a state.

'This must be what Hyoudou is like when he's away from Ophis and Leiko Hyoudou for a long time.' Vali deduced in his thoughts.

The aforementioned women meant a great deal to his rival, but Vali never would have thought that their very presence was that profound to Issei's well-being.

'You really aren't right in the head at all, are you Hyoudou?' Vali mused.

_**What's wrong, Issei Hyoudou? **_

Vali narrowed his eyes at the Shinto Kami in annoyance, before his expression lightened into a calm look.

"Never figured you the type of person to engage in small talk after what Hyoudou just put you through."

Amenominakanushi's smirk morphed into a scowl as he glared at Vali.

_**You make it sound like it's an achievement of his.**_

"Not really," Vali corrected, "I'm just going by logic."

_**What logic?**_

"That if he managed to damage you, then the result will still be the same with me."

_**Bah! You think you have the power to stop me? Don't make me laugh, half-breed! With Samael by my side, neither you nor Issei Hyoudou combined would stand a chance against me!**_

It was that moment when Vali began to think of something peculiar.

'Albion?'

_(Yes, Vali?)_

'Have you ever experienced the feeling of déjà-vu before?'

_(Ah. So I gather you're sensing it too.)_

'Yeah. This situation is almost exactly like what my grandfather tried to pull against us from six months ago. The Shinto Kami unsealing Samael, is _just_ like Rizevim unsealing the Trihexa during Hyoudou's battle with the Moon God.'

_(Don't assume too quickly, Vali. Samael is the Dragon Eater, and the Curse of God. The Trihexa was a mindless beast, until Ddraig's host was somehow able to convert it to our side.)_

'Do you think Hyoudou will be able to achieve the same result with Samael if he did…whatever he did with the Trihexa?'

_(I know for a fact that it wouldn't work. Remember Vali, the Trihexa was sealed by the God of the Bible, but it was never cursed.)_

'Hmm. That's right. And last time I checked, Hyoudou never seemed to show any sort of magical talent. Just raw solar energy.'

At the thought of his rival's former powers, Vali turned to look at him. Although he couldn't see Issei's eyes, Vali noticed more veins appearing on his rival's face.

'It looks like absorbing that black hole gave Issei Hyoudou more trouble than he'd anticipated.'

_(He did what he could to survive, but now it seems to have been a waste.)_

Issei's body continued to tremble in fury as he lowered his head, allowing his hair to cover his eyes. Noticing this, Vali gave his rival a glare.

"Hyoudou-" He started before he was rudely interrupted.

_**Is the presence of Samael bringing you terror, Issei Hyoudou? Does it bring a chill down your pathetic spine?**_ _**Just think. If the being I am controlling possesses enough power to harm the two most powerful Dragons in existence, then just imagine what would happen if I used him against you?**_

Immediately after Amenominakanushi's words, an image of both Great Red and Ophis manifested in Issei's head. He could picture the two Dragons looking up at him in great pain and suffering. He could see the eyes of Ophis' image welling up in tears, with the image of Great Red gritting his teeth in agony.

_M-my Issei!_

_ K-kid!_

Issei couldn't slow down his haggard breathing. The thought of seeing Leiko in pain already brought him great fury. But Ophis and Great Red…

The son of Amaterasu couldn't think straight. Negative thoughts of suffering and agony were jumbling around in his head, his hope dwindling severely. He'd never felt so broken in his life.

"Issei," Vali began as he looked towards his rival, "I need you to focus. The situation may look bad now, but you're still alive, aren't you? We can still fix this."

_**Why do you continue to give him false hopes, descendant of Lucifer?**_

Vali turned to glare at Amenominakanushi.

"What do you mean 'false hopes'?" Vali asked.

_**In case you've forgotten, you and Issei Hyoudou are the wielders of the Two Heavenly Dragons. And as we all know, Samael is known as the 'Dragon Eater' for a reason.**_

Vali's glare glowered into a scowl as he looked back to Issei. Amenominakanushi followed his gaze and smirked nastily towards the son of Amaterasu.

_**Issei Hyoudou. The child who keeps running.**_

"When has Hyoudou ever run away from a battle?" Vali asked while keeping his gaze on his rival.

_**I am not talking about battles, half-breed. Think. What has Issei Hyoudou been trying avoid for most of his life?**_

"…" Vali was quiet as he looked back to Amenominakanushi.

_**This place. The vast world of the supernatural. Despite everything he has gone through, Issei Hyoudou still desires to withdraw himself from the supernatural. He always keeps running, never looking back because he wants to live in a state of normalcy on the planet Earth. But that state is something that he can never achieve. It's all a hopeless effort in the end.**_

Amenominakanushi's smirk widened as he looked over to Vali.

_**The reason he fights, is because of the love he possesses for his pathetic family on Earth. His parents Sachiko Hyuodou and Mitsuru Hyoudou, and his cousin Leiko Hyoudou. He fights to prevent the supernatural world from coming in contact with them at all costs. But as I said before, it is all a wasteful effort. Do you know why, son of Amaterasu?**_

Issei's head was lowered, but Amenominakanushi knew he was listening.

_**What happens when a human dies, Issei Hyoudou?**_

Issei still didn't reply, prompting Vali to look at him cautiously. Vali had learned a long time ago that whenever his rival was silent for a long period of time, things were bound to go wrong.

Amenominakanushi looked up at Samael, and crossed his arms.

_**Since you refuse to answer, I'm going to assume that you're unaware of what happens. I think I'll be generous and tell you anyway. When a human dies, the weight of their soul is determined, and then they are sent to Heaven or Hell or any other realm to 'live' on as an Angel, a Devil, or a Fallen Angel.**_

"…" Issei was still quiet.

_**Do you understand? Everyone is aware that the death of a human is inevitable. No matter how hard you try to prevent it, your family on Earth will eventually become a part of the supernatural. That means that your human parents and your cousin will be forced to join this world.**_

"All right, I've had enough of this." Vali declared with an intense look of annoyance, prompting Amenominakanushi to glare at him.

_**How dare you interru-**_

"You've been trying so hard to kill Issei Hyoudou, and yet you keep toying with his mind. That's probably why he's been the one dominating this fight between you and him the entire time."

_**You watch your tongue, half-breed!**_

"If you want to kill Issei Hyoudou and I so badly, then go ahead and use Samael already." Vali goaded, "If not, then I'll gladly make the first move."

His declaration finished, Vali folded his arms across his shoulders, his silver armor glowing brightly with white energy.

"I, who is about to awaken, am the Heavenly Dragon-"

_**Y-you impudent little-!**_

Amenominakanushi narrowed his eyes as he waved his hand towards Samael, causing the restraint on the latter's right hand to fall off.

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

Samael roared as more of his power was unsealed, and he directed his hand towards the host of the Vanishing Dragon.

_(Vali!)_

His chant interrupted, Vali widened his eyes in surprise as a black substance shot out from Samael's right hand. The substance formed into the shape of a black block with a wide opening.

Vali narrowed his eyes and pushed his hand forward.

_(Half Dimension!)_

The surroundings of the arena of the Underworld became warped as the ability of the Vanishing Dragon was activated. The waves and pressure of the attack were sent towards the black block, but it had no effect.

"Tch!" Vali clicked his tongue, as he flew away from the substance.

The host of the Vanishing Dragon lifted his hand and summoned a large crimson sphere of energy.

"Try this on!" He shouted as he delivered the attack.

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

Samael roared as its black block devoured Vali's attack, causing it to grow in size. Vali widened his eyes when the black substance increased its speed and lifted itself up to envelop him.

_**Foolish half-breed! You were stupid enough to underestimate Samael!**_

Amenominakanushi grinned sadistically as the block changed its shape again to envelop Vali.

_WHIRRLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

Both Amenominakanushi and Vali widened their eyes when a large black hole suddenly manifested in front of the latter. The black hole enveloped the black block, engulfing it until it was absorbed completely.

_**What's this?!**_

"…" Vali was shocked speechless as he looked down to see his rival with his palm outstretched.

His rival's eyes were still covered by his hair, but Vali also noticed Issei's body stance.

"Hyoudou…"

"I…" Issei began, his voice starting off raspy, "I give up."

The Shinto Kami and the descendant of Lucifer's eyes widened further.

"Issei?! What the hell are you saying?!"

For the longest time he had known his rival, Vali never thought he would ever hear those words. Give up? What the hell was his rival thinking?! Did Amenominakanushi truly break him?

Amenominakanushi, shocked as Vali was, adopted a look of smugness as he grinned.

_**So you've finally realized that you've no chance of wi-**_

"Not to you." Issei interrupted coldly as he didn't look up, "_Never_ to you."

_**?!**_

"?!" Vali gasped.

"…You just won't leave me alone, will you?" Issei asked, his question directed at neither Vali nor Amenominakanushi.

"…"

**…**

"Always trying to trap me." Issei continued quietly, "No matter where I go, I always end up coming back here. To this world. This _obsessive_ world."

Issei lifted his head up slightly as he looked up at the sky of the Underworld. Vali blinked as he stared at his rival in confusion.

'Who on Earth is he talking to?' He asked in his thoughts.

"For so long, I've been running away from you. At first it was because I wanted to be left alone. So I could live with Ophis, Great Red, and Leiko on Earth peacefully. I wanted to live with a sense of normalcy. But all that's changed, because the other reason was Leiko being in constant danger. Everyone was always trying to get to me, either to kill me, or fight me, or just for their own amusement. And in order to do that, they targeted Leiko and rarely Ophis and Great Red, to get to me."

Both Vali and Amenominakanushi continued to stare at Issei in surprise.

"I don't ever want Ophis, Great Red, or Leiko, or anyone else I care about to go away. I don't want them to get hurt. And I know it's selfish of me to want them to live forever. But I can't help it."

Issei clenched his fists as he struggled to compose himself.

"The Sun always descended into darkness. It went away constantly, to the point that I was always genuinely scared that it would never come back up. And then the next thing I tried to avoid was the thought of the people I care about…never coming back either."

'Hyoudou…' Vali said in his thoughts.

"I don't want Ophis-hime to go away," Issei began again, "I don't want Brother-Red to go away either. And Leiko…I don't know what I'd do if I never have the chance to see her again."

Issei narrowed his eyes as he raised his hand up to the sky, and closed it into a fist.

"I know that my parents and Leiko aren't going to live forever. That's why I've always saved Leiko and the planet Earth, just to make sure that all of them were safe. However…"

Issei tightened his fist as he narrowed his eyes further.

"The day they pass on, is the day I fear the most." Issei admitted, "The crushing feeling, and the thought of never seeing them again is downright painful. Whenever I thought about that, I wondered where their souls would go next. But now I know. They go to you, don't they?"

…_**Have you lost your sanity?**_

The child of Shinto gave no reaction to Amenominakanushi's words, his gaze still directed toward the sky of the Underworld. He sighed as he lowered his fist.

"So all my efforts are wasted then, huh? Eventually, Leiko and my parents are going to join this world. This is where their fates will be sealed."

Issei lowered his head, his eyes gaining a melancholic edge to it, before he looked up at the sky again.

"Even if that's the case, I'll never stop protecting them. I know that my wife and Great Red don't need my help at all, but nobody ever said I was normal to begin with, now did they? I'll always protect them; Ophis-hime, Great Red, Leiko, Mom and Dad, Amaterasu, and everyone else. Even if Leiko and my mom and dad end up here, that doesn't mean I'll stop."

As his eyes lost the look of sadness, Issei stood up straight.

"If the people on Earth are destined to end in this place…then I guess I've no choice but to adjust."

Narrowing his eyes, Issei gritted his teeth and outstretched his arms, releasing the lethal aura of the black hole.

"I give up!" He declared, "You want me so badly?! Then fine! So be it! You can have me! But I only ask this of you!"

_**What are you doing, son of Amaterasu? Who the hell are you talking to?**_

'Albion?' Vali questioned as he contacted his Dragon, 'I'm starting to question my rival's sanity.'

_(Perhaps you have a strange taste in rivals.)_

"I have a wish!" Issei shouted, "I know that Grandma's no longer a part of you anymore, so she can't interfere with your power! But even without her, you still exist, right? If that's the case, then please listen to me!"

Amenominakanushi stared at the son of Amaterasu in great confusion.

"I'm the Solar God that was born and raised on Earth!" Issei began, "But even if that's true, you've always been the home of Shinto heritage. Which also means that you're my home too!"

Turning his head, Issei sent his gaze towards Amenominakanushi, and glared darkly at him before looking up at the sky.

"I have to defeat this guy!" He called out, "And judging by how many times you've tried to keep me in your clutches, you'd want me to come back to this world, right? Well, I can't do that because this guy's planning to kill me! So I ask only this of you! Please help me! I have to beat him!"

Issei's scream reverberated throughout the arena of the Underworld, causing a loud echo to emit everywhere.

Vali, who had shortly recovered from his confusion at his rival's display, narrowed his eyes.

"What is going on in your mind, Hyoudou?" Vali asked quietly.

Amenominakanushi continued to stare at Issei in shock, before he formed a smirk on his face.

_**Humph. So you've finally broken down. Where has your mind gone? You're shouting at the top of your lungs to the sky, as though you're hoping that your voice will reach someone's ears. You fool; there is no one in the sky! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_

Amenominakanushi roared with laughter, his amusement towards Issei Hyoudou prevalent.

_Mine…_

The Shinto Kami's laughter was cut off from the sudden voice. His eyes widening in surprise, Amenominakanushi looked around frantically.

_**Where did…where did that voice come from? Show yourself!**_

Vali had also heard the mysterious voice, and his eyes shifted from left and right.

'Albion, did you hear that as well?'

_(Yes. But I don't recognize it.)_

'It doesn't sound like Ophis, or that Omniversal Entity at all.'

_All mine…_

Amenominakanushi narrowed his eyes into slits as he growled towards Issei's direction.

_**Son of Amaterasu, what are you planning?!**_

Much like Vali and Amenominakanushi, Issei was surprised as well, but not entirely. He didn't recognize the voice.

'Who said that?'

_**DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH**_

Issei, Vali, and Amenominakanushi all looked up at the sound of the loud noise. A transparent crack suddenly opened in the sky, and emitted a flowing stream of multi-colored energy spirals. Amenominakanushi's eyes squinted at the source of energy.

'_**This energy…where is it coming from?!'**_

The energy continued to flow from the crack in the sky, and suddenly traveled over to Issei, who hesitantly backed away. The son of Amaterasu stood still as the energy coiled around him.

_Mine…_

Vali watched the stream of energy with caution.

'What is that energy, Albion?'

_(I can't decipher the source. It's no doubt a supernatural based power, but that is all I can sense.)_

'Supernatural?' Vali thought before his eyes widened, 'Albion?'

_(What?)_

'You know how people always said that the supernatural world was obsessed with Issei Hyoudou?'

_(Yes?)_

'…I'm starting to think they weren't exactly exaggerating about that.'

**_Please read & review :)_**


	55. The 'Love' of the Supernatural Part 2

**Earth – Tokyo**

**Issei's Penthouse Apartment**

Mitsuru Hyoudou sighed in exasperation as he kept a tight hold on Sachiko's shoulders. Not even a second after Morisawa opened Issei's door, Mrs. Hyoudou immediately rushed past her husband, and proceeded to devastatingly knee the manga reader in his…_dragon balls_.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The aforementioned manga reader and cosplayer-lover predictably let out a rather less-than-manly squeal, and was currently writhing on the floor in pain. Mr. Hyoudou, shocked by his wife's violent assault, while stealthily wincing in sympathy at Morisawa's situation, immediately went to restrain his wife, knowing that there was more to come if he didn't do so.

In the midst of his pain, Morisawa looked up at Sachiko from his spot on the floor, and sent her an equally fierce glare.

"What in the absolute HELL was that for?!" Morisawa roared.

Sachiko's eyes narrowed as she went to release a verbal assault towards Morisawa, before Mitsuru tightened his grip on her shoulders.

"Honey, just please calm down already!" He admonished pleadingly, "That's enough!"

His pain lessening, Morisawa struggled to get up from his spot and quickly took a few steps back away from the Hyoudou couple. As he felt the cold surface of the wall hit his back, Morisawa's glare towards Sachiko deepened.

"Why the hell did you do that?!" He questioned, "What have I ever done to you?!"

"You somehow got my baby boy's apartment key," Sachiko started fiercely, "Entered his apartment without his permission, and planned to steal his stuff without the intention of giving them back to them!"

"Ok, _first_ of all, the kid's eighteen years old now," Morisawa retorted in annoyance, "so he's not your 'baby boy' anymore. Quit acting like you have some sort of Jocasta complex or empty nest syndrome towards him! Second of all, the landlord of these apartments keeps a spare key for every complex, so I didn't steal your son's key. And third of all, I SAID I WOULD GIVE THE MANGAS BACK TO HIM, DAMN IT!"

"Jocasta complex?!" Sachiko shrieked, "Empty nest syndrome?!"

"Ok everyone, let's all just calm down!" Mitsuru interrupted in an attempt to placate his wife and Morisawa.

"I _am_ calm!" Morisawa retorted, "I'm the calmest person in this house right now! It's your wife that's losing her shit!"

Mitsuru frowned at Morisawa's words and went to defend Sachiko, until his wife beat him to it.

"How dare you!" Sachiko shouted before she turned to glare at her husband, "Let go of me, Mitsuru!"

"Don't you dare! Don't sic that crazy lady on me!" Morisawa frighteningly ordered as he moved over behind Issei's desktop computer.

Mitsuru sighed as he kept hold on his wife's shoulders. In all of the years they'd been married, he had never seen Sachiko so angry before. When Issei was a child, Sachiko was very protective of him, but not to the extent of a fiercely overprotective mother. Was Issei's decision to move out the house _that _much of an impact on Sachiko?

"…Mitsuru."

Mr. Hyoudou was brought back to reality by the soft tone of his wife's voice. In the midst of his pondering, Mitsuru had failed to notice that his wife was no longer shaking in fury. She seemed to be actually relaxed now. The Hyoudou patriarch inwardly sighed as he heard his wife take deep breaths.

Morisawa watched Mrs. Hyoudou cautiously, using Issei's chair as his line of defense. Sighing deeply, Sachiko lowered her shoulders and relaxed. Lifting her head up, Mrs. Hyoudou gave Morisawa a soft glance.

"…I'm sorry for my behavior." She apologized gently, her eyes revealing a sadness long suppressed for six months, "I'm just worried about my son."

Morisawa, still not completely trusting Sachiko, remained where he was. He'd seen the trick too many times due to his experience of reading manga. Sachiko would pretend to be all calm and collected, and then the second Mitsuru let go of his wife, she would immediately continue her assault.

Morisawa scoffed. Like hell he was going to fall for that trick!

"…" Mitsuru was momentarily silent as he looked at both Morisawa and Sachiko, "Now that everything's all calm here, I guess the best course of action would be to just wait for Issei to come back."

Sachiko quickly turned her head around to look at her husband with a look of anxiety.

"How can you say that at a time like this?" She asked, "If he's not here in Tokyo, and he's nowhere near our house, then where on Earth could he be?! It's not like we can assume that he just vanished off the Earth or something!"

* * *

><p><strong>'Mind' of the Supernatural<strong>

_Mine!_

_My little shut-in…is finally mine!_

The most dominant emotion the supernatural was currently feeling could only be described as excessive happiness. No wait…perhaps it was bliss. No, not even that.

_Euphoria._

_Elation._

_Rapture._

_Oh_, if only it could talk to its little shut-in! To let him know how much it loved him so much; and kiss him until his very skin was sore from its nonexistent lips!

_I want…to kiss him! To trap him! To never let him go! Never!_

The supernatural was in such ecstasy that if it had a body, it would've shook heavily in pure jubilation. The accumulating feelings that poured into the supernatural's 'consciousness' were enormous, and were starting to expand the longer its energy continued to 'lovingly' coil around its little shut-in.

In the midst of its elation, a sudden thought occurred into the 'consciousness' of the supernatural. The supernatural would have gasped in surprise if it had a voice.

The supernatural was finally free from the influence of Izanami-no-Mikoto. After its little shut-in had removed the Shinto Goddess from Yomi; which in turn had destroyed the link between Izanami and the supernatural, the latter had become more self-aware. Without Izanami's presence, the supernatural had a mind to think for its own, and could use its power for its own purposes.

And now it had the opportunity!

_I must...be near him! Must manifest…to love…to hold…to kiss…to trap…because I could not before. I must keep him! Must keep him all to myself!_

A thought immediately projected into the consciousness of the supernatural.

_But what form? What form will soothe little shut-in?_

The thought of the Ouroboros Dragon appeared in the 'mind' of the supernatural. Had the supernatural possessed a voice, it would have scoffed.

_Infinite One…has taken form already. It would be redundant to take its shape._

Another thought projected into the supernatural's consciousness.

_Izanami-no-Mikoto…_

The supernatural would have snarled in rage if it could. An immense wave of fury manifested within the supernatural at the reminder of the Shinto Goddess who had manipulated its power.

_I will not take her form either._

The consciousness felt a surge of annoyance erupt within it. Through its forced fusion with Izanami, the supernatural had knowledge and awareness of every being that its little shut-in had come in contact with. But the supernatural also knew that its little shut-in got along with only a few of the otherworldly creatures.

_I will not take form of dwellers. It will not soothe little shut-in at all._

There was a pause of thought in the supernatural's consciousness.

If it could, the consciousness would've declared that when Amaterasu; the Shinto Goddess of the Sun and the Universe, gave birth to Issei Hyoudou, the child had already belonged to the supernatural.

At the sixth year of his life, however, Ophis the Ouroboros Dragon had marked Issei as its mate. And though the supernatural would acknowledge what Ophis had done, the latter's marking had no impact of Issei Hyoudou's development at all.

The Infinite Dragon God had simply retreated to the Dimensional Gap to wait for its mate to grow and develop. It had no part in influencing or interacting with its mate-to-be, either out of ignorance or something else.

_Influence…little shut-in._

The supernatural was aware of the human parents of Issei Hyoudou. Mitsuru and Sachiko Hyoudou. Although they had played a monumental part in Issei Hyoudou's life, and deeply loved and cared for him severely, their influence upon the child of Shinto was narrow and limited at best.

Yet another thought projected into the consciousness of the supernatural.

_The woman known as Leiko Hyoudou. The one who loves him deeply and excessively. The one who keeps him sane. The one whose life he has always saved. Her presence soothes little shut-in. __Her form, I will take. But I must appear different._

The consciousness recalled the Shinto Kami Amenominakanushi taking Leiko Hyoudou's form; in an attempt to break its little shut-in's mind. But the supernatural could improvise.

Heaven and all of its seven regions, the Underworld, and the realms of the various mythological and religious factions, were all part of the supernatural itself. The scattered energies that surrounded those realms all derived from the supernatural.

The otherworldly creatures that dwelled upon the supernatural drew their powers from the atmosphere and ambiance of the world itself. So from that standpoint, the supernatural itself was the progenitor of the energies and abilities possessed by the Gods and Buddahs, Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils.

With that in mind, the supernatural felt a wave of determination and impatience etch into its consciousness. It was so eager to see its little shut-in that it couldn't bear to wait a second longer.

* * *

><p><strong>Underworld (Far Away From the Arena)<strong>

There were no traces of anyone on top of the large landmass of the Underworld. The sky was now dark, its atmosphere matching the night's darkness in the human world. A false moon manifested in the sky, indicating the times of day and night.

Multiple cracks slowly appeared in the sky, the region of the atmosphere of the Earth breaking apart. Multi-colored streams of energy flowed out of the sky, and traveled down towards the ground in a spiral-like motion.

_Must…take form!_

The massive energy spirals crashed down into the ground, illuminating the air that surrounded the Underworld with bright colors. The energy then transformed its shape into a colossal orb of light. As the light floated down towards the ground, parts of the orb stretched out until it morphed into a light fair-skinned hand.

_Must…see him! Hold him! Kiss him! Trap him! _

While still contained within the orb, the hand lifted itself up and reached to embed its fingers into the ground.

_I must…manifest!_

The rest of the orb of light changed its entire shape, altering into the silhouette of a woman.

Moments later, the woman's eyelids opened slowly, revealing two dark-emerald colored eyes that stared ahead. The woman lay motionlessly on the ground, her curiosity growing as she tried to accustom to the feeling of the cold surface. She slowly turned her head, and attempted to lift herself up.

For so many years serving as the motionless home, shelter, and battlefield for the otherworldly creatures, the woman found it difficult to maintain her new body. But she wouldn't let that stop her.

She had to see her little shut-in! No...she _needed_ to!

After a few minutes of trembling, the woman finally managed to lift her torso up. As she did so, she spotted a few strands of brown hair spill over her eyes. The woman's eyes widened in fascination as she struggled to push herself up all the way. Her voice was silent as she regained her balance.

As the woman stood up straight, she lifted her hands up, turning them around repeatedly. She lifted her hands up to touch her short frizzy brown hair, marveled at the soft texture. Looking down at herself, the woman tilted her head at her body shape.

The woman had intended her body to look similar to the shape of Leiko Hyoudou. However, she knew she had to alter the form a little; to make sure her little shut-in wouldn't misinterpret her intentions. She had taken the form of her little shut-in's cousin, and aged her body to a more physically developed shape.

The woman grew fascinated as she noticed that her hips were slightly wider than her shoulders, deducing that her body shape could be classified as a more mature appearance. Becoming even more astonished, the woman revealed a wide smile.

_I have…completed form!_

The woman hugged herself in happiness, the thought of meeting, _kissing_, _trapping,_ and _keeping_ her little-shut in bringing her such euphoria.

The woman smiled wider as she felt the wind of the Underworld blow through her hair, the cool atmosphere fluttering soft touches on her face. She hugged her body tightly, sighing blissfully.

"My little shut-in…is all mine!"

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys, what's up? School's starting again, so me writing Fanfiction has been limited for me at best. But all I can do is try. Sorry the chapter's a bit short, since I had only a little time to write, but I feel satisfied with it.<strong>

**On another note, some of the lovely reviewers and readers of the story PMed me about considering the idea of putting the supernatural itself in Issei's Unwanted Harem. I...honestly don't know what to say about that to be honest. It seems like a good idea though, I think.**

**Hope you guys have a good day! **

**Please read & review :)**


	56. Something Good, Something Bad

**Warning: Bouts of Mood Whiplash.**

* * *

><p><strong>Earth – Kuoh Academy<strong>

**Azazel's Laboratory**

Aside from the tinkering noises from Azazel and the flowing energies from Izanami and Asia, the atmosphere of the former's laboratory was quiet at best. The Shinto Goddess and Sacred Gear wielder sat across from each other, their energies coiling around the vials containing the Phoenix Tears. Sitting between the two, were two small glasses of tea prepared by Asia.

"Are you finished repairing the machine, Fallen Angel?"

"You know, you're free to call me Azazel. You don't have to be so formal."

Despite the casual tone spoken by Azazel, Izanami couldn't help the annoyed frown that appeared on her face. She couldn't understand why the Fallen Angel was so calm and collected about the current situation.

"Is the machine finished?" She asked again.

"That depends," Azazel replied, "Have you and Asia finished augmenting the Phoenix Tears?"

"We're almost done, Azazel-san!" Asia piped up cheerfully.

Both Izanami and Azazel turned to see Asia with her hands raised above the vials of Phoenix Tears. The emerald glow from her Twilight Sacred Gear illuminated over the vials, increasing the properties of the tears. Izanami, who was sitting across from Asia, was glowing with a silver-white aura, her energy transferring over to the vials as well.

As he wiped a few droplets of sweat off of his forehead, Azazel sighed and looked over to Izanami.

"Izanami-no-Mikoto." He said, prompting the Shinto Goddess to glance at him questioningly, "There's something I want to know."

"And that is?" Izanami replied.

"Do you know who Yoru is?" Azazel asked.

"Of course I do. The son of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto." She answered, "Why do you ask?"

Azazel blinked as he raised an eyebrow at Izanami's answer, before he composed himself.

"You said that while you were trapped in Yomi," He began, spotting Izanami's noticeable wince of disgust, "You used the power of the supernatural world to observe Issei Hyoudou. So what I want to know is why you never went after Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto's son."

"…" Izanami was silent for a moment, prompting Asia to look at her in concern.

"Izanami-sama?" She asked gently.

"Fallen Angel Azazel," Izanami started quietly, "Aside from what they represent, what is the other difference between the child of Amaterasu and the child of Tsukuyomi?"

Azazel blinked again as he tried to think of a response.

'What other difference does she mean? Issei Hyoudou was born from the energies of the Sun, while Yoru has his ties connected to the Moon. Issei's naïve but well-intentioned, and Yoru's powerful but insane. Hmm.'

He honestly couldn't think of anything.

Seeing that Azazel wasn't going to respond, Izanami inwardly sighed as she reached for the steaming cup of tea next to her. Asia's eyes widened as she went to grab the tea away from Izanami's reach.

"W-wait, Izanami-sama! The tea isn't warm ye-"

Asia's warning was cut off when Izanami raised the cup to her lips, the hot tea flowing down her throat. Releasing a sigh, Izanami set her eyes over to Asia.

"I have resided in the cold realm Yomi for over millennia, Asia," She informed the human girl, "If anything, liquids that are scalding hot will not harm me in the slightest."

"O-ok." Asia stuttered as she watched Izanami place her cup down.

The Shinto Goddess of Creation and Death licked her lips at the taste of the tea. She then turned to Azazel, and narrowed her eyes.

"The moment Amaterasu brought Issei to existence, she sent him to this planet with the intention of keeping him safe from me. Tsukuyomi however, kept his son on Takamagahara, so there was no need for me to pay him any mind."

"…Huh." Azazel said, "It's that simple?"

"My mind has been severely fractured over the years, Fallen Angel." Izanami reminded him, "What could you honestly expect of me?"

"Right, right." Azazel amended as he turned his attention to the doppelganger machine.

The occupants were silent in the laboratory once more. As she tilted her head towards Izanami, Asia gave her a soft smile.

"Izanami-sama?" She began, "After the Sun comes back and heals the Earth, where are you going to go? Are you going to stay here on Earth?"

Try as she might, Izanami couldn't stop herself from flinching as her eyes took on a wistful look.

"I…I am not exactly sure." She said, unsure of herself.

Asia's expression softened as she inwardly sighed. Her eyes gained a sympathetic edge to them as she looked to see Izanami's aura fading away.

"Izanami-sama?" She questioned, noticing the Shinto Goddess' fatigue.

Izanami frowned and clutched her forehead, her energy starting to dwindle ever so slightly.

"That is enough energy I can expel, Fallen Angel Azazel." She stated without looking at him.

"Ah, that won't be a problem."

_GROOOOOOOOOOOO_

Her eyes widening at the sudden noise, Izanami turned her head to see two large capsules in front of Azazel. The Fallen Angel smiled with a triumphant air about him, and turned around to look at the Shinto Goddess and Asia.

"Y-you did it!" Asia exclaimed cheerfully with a bright smile.

"Yep." Azazel proudly agreed as he twirled his arm around, "I still got it. Now all we have to do is put the vials in the first machine, duplicate them in the second capsule, and then we're good to go."

"Well, the Phoenix Tears are done and ready to go." Asia replied.

The girl took her and Izanami's vials and placed it into the first opened capsule. As Azazel pressed the button to close the machine door, the space within started to emit a bright glow. The occupants of the laboratory watched in interest and anticipation as they waited for the machine to function.

_DOOOOOOOOON!_

The trio quickly covered their eyes to keep the machine's light release from blinding them. As the machine continued to move, smoke started to dissipate out from it. As the light faded, Azazel was the first to remove his arm from his eyes. The Fallen Angel waved the smoke from his line of sight, and peered down at the capsule.

"…" Azazel's eyes began to slowly widen, his mouth stretching out into a large grin, "EUREKA!"

Both Izanami and Asia widened their eyes as they spotted the second capsule filled with a large number of vials full of Phoenix Tears.

"It worked!" Asia cheered,

"…" Izanami was too stunned to even say anything.

Azazel smirked as he opened the second capsule, and looked down at the numerous amounts of vial-filled Phoenix Tears.

"Issei Hyoudou. Vali." Azazel said, "Just hold out for a while longer, you two. The whole plan is finally coming together."

The Fallen Angel twirled his tool item around his finger, and fastened it to his pocket as his smirk widened.

"The plan to return Issei Hyoudou to his second 'mother'; the Sun."

"Mother? Amaterasu may be a representation of the Sun, Fallen Angel Azazel," Izanami questioned with a raise of her eyebrow, "But the Sun is just a massive star that releases energy. It does not have a gender."

"…But the Sun gives life, Izanami-sama." Asia softly spoke up.

Izanami's eyes widened as she sent her eyes over to the girl. Asia smiled warmly at the Shinto Goddess.

"If we didn't have the Sun, then there really wouldn't be anything on Earth. And if there is no mother, then there aren't any children either." Asia explained.

Azazel nodded with a smile at the girl's words. Asia's smile widened as she clasped her hands together.

"So in a way…" She hesitated as she looked Izanami in the eyes, "The Sun is like a mother. Not only a mother to Issei, but to the Earth and so on."

Izanami only stared wide-eyed at the girl's somewhat symbolic words. The girl was smarter than she had given her credit for.

And to think that long ago, she made it her life's goal to eliminate everyone on Earth.

The silence was once again prevalent in Azazel's laboratory, bringing the excitement down to a state of contentment. With a small smile, Azazel clapped his hands together.

"All right, Mount Kailash," He began, "Here we come!"

* * *

><p><strong>Arena of the Underworld<strong>

"Well, well, well. Everything's always a surprise when you're involved, isn't it Issei Hyoudou?"

The words had jumped out of the host of the Vanishing Dragon's mouth before he could even process it in his head. His rival, still surrounded by the multi-colored energy spirals, looked up at him and started to open his mouth.

"I-"

_**In all of my years of existence, I've never detected something as powerful as this! **_

Only to be interrupted by Amenominakanushi.

The aforementioned Shinto Kami stared at the multi-colored energies coiling around Issei, his expression bordering on a combination of utmost distraught and horror.

_{Is anyone else feeling déjà vu?}_

_(Ah good. So it isn't just me or my host.)_

"Uh-" Issei began.

_**Son of Amaterasu, what is this energy?! Who have you summoned?!**_

"I-"

_**This energy is coming from an unknown source, and yet I can feel it from every direction! What is this power?! Answer me, you fool!**_

"I-" Issei tried again, but to no avail.

_**You dare interrupt me you little-**_

His confused look dissolving into an expression of annoyance, the son of Amaterasu and the 'Sun' wisely kept silent for a while. He would just have to _wait _for Amenominakanushi to finish his tirade.

_{Well…this battle has turned into a rather strange event.}_

_((Can this even be considered a battle anymore?))_

_**Now tell me where this power is coming from, or so help me I will obliterate both you and the host of the Vanishing Dragon with Samael!**_

"…" Issei stared blankly at Amenominakanushi.

The Shinto Kami stared back at him angrily.

"Are you done?" Vali asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

…_**Yes.**_

Inwardly sighing, Issei nodded and readied himself to explain that he didn't know what the hell was happening either.

"I-"

_WHIRLLLLLLLOOOOOOO_

"Really?" Vali intoned, suppressing his exasperated lilt.

'Seriously?' Issei mentally groaned in his head.

_**Hmm. Another energy source I sense. It's weaker than the energies that coil around Issei Hyoudou.**_

'Then whose energy is it?' Vali questioned in his mind, "I don't recognize it. Albion?'

_(The source isn't familiar to me either, Vali.)_

The moment Vali cut off his mind-link with the Vanishing Dragon, a dark-colored energy manifested in the large space between Issei and Amenominakanushi. The light from the energy faded, revealing a figure dressed in dark robes decorated with ornaments. Clasped on the opening of the hood, was a 'clown mask', furthering the confusion of Issei, Vali, and Amenominakanushi.

The figure lifted his head up and directed it towards Issei, who stared back in bewilderment at the scythe in the former's hand.

'A Grim Reaper? What's he doing here?'

"Issei Hyoudou." The hooded figure rasped as he tapped his scythe on the ground, "It has been a while."

The confused look on Issei's face only increased as he hesitated to speak.

"I'm sorry, but…" He started as he raised an eyebrow, "Who are you?"

The hooded figure suddenly stiffened as he almost let go of his scythe. Regaining his composure, he gripped his scythe tighter.

"Surely you jest, Issei Hyoudou." He replied, "We may have met each other only once, but-"

"We've met before?" Issei questioned as he reflexively rubbed the back of his head, "Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes, I'm sure!" The hooded Grim Reaper stuttered angrily, almost losing his temper, "I was there when you fought Cao Cao in Lord Hades' dwelling; the Realm of the Dead!"

Issei blinked several times as he tilted his head.

'Ddraig, do you remember him?'

_{Remember, partner. At that time, your body was still getting used to the effects of Albion's power interfering with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The time I spent watching your battle was rather limited at best, and I couldn't contact you due to the suppressed connection.}_

The figure looked as though he wanted to strangle the son of Amaterasu, because his scythe was noticeably shaking by his trembling hold.

Vali, who was still floating above his rival, held a look of indifference at the current situation. He looked over to see Amenominakanushi sporting a look of intense annoyance.

'I can't help but question why the Shinto Kami isn't taking this opportunity to attack any of us with Samael.'

_(Is it really worth questioning? You should be taking this opportunity to regain your energy, Vali. You know Ddraig's host had a hand in saving both of us from Samael's poison.)_

'Ugh.' Vali groaned in his head, 'Does this mean we owe Issei Hyoudou yet again?'

_(What do you mean, 'we'?)_

Before Vali could retort a snappy response and ask Albion what he meant, he was cut off from the sound of a finger snap.

"Oh wait a minute!" Issei said as he looked over to the hooded figure, "I think I did see you! Yeah, I remember you!"

The figure lifted his head up, his body language exuding a rush of excitement.

"Excellent. So you recall my presence."

"Yeah," Issei agreed, "Your name's Uranus, right?"

A silence so tense had risen, that out of nowhere a tumbleweed blew across the direction of Amenominakanushi and Samael. The action did not go unnoticed by Vali, who raised an eyebrow.

"Where'd that tumbleweed come from?" He asked.

"That is not my name you fool!" The hooded figure exclaimed, his composure dwindling ever so quickly.

Issei's eyes widened in surprise, and he blinked several times in confusion.

"It's not?"

"No!"

"Oh." Issei said before shifting his eyes side to side, "Sorry?"

"NOT FORGIVEN!" The figure shrieked.

"So no one's going to acknowledge the tumbleweed that just passed by?" Vali questioned, "I just want to make sure so I can move on."

"How could you forget my name?!" The figure asked incredulously, "It shares the same name with one of the planets in Space, for Hades' sake!"

"…Jupiter?"

"No!"

"Neptune?"

"Try again!"

"Saturn?"

"Not even close!"

"Mercury?" Vali put in.

"NO!" The figure roared, before doing a double take and turning to point his scythe at Vali, "A-and who asked you?!"

"Venus?" Issei guessed.

"No!"

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?_

Issei, Vali, Amenominakanushi, and the hooded figure all turned to look at Samael questioningly.

"Um…no?" The figure reluctantly replied.

...

After a few moments of silence, the argument commenced.

"Mars?" Vali predicted.

"For the love of- I should slice the both of you fools!" The figure threatened.

"E-" Issei tried again.

"Don't you dare say Earth." The hooded figure emphasized heatedly, "God damn it, do not say Earth!"

"…" Issei was rendered silent by confusion.

"…" Vali rolled his eyes as he shook his head in annoyance.

"Well?!" The Grim Reaper waited impatiently.

"We already named all of the planets in the Solar System." Vali pointed out.

"No you didn't! You missed one!"

"Wait, we did?" Issei asked.

The figure by this point was struggling to control his ever growing rage. His entire body trembled with indignant fury as he pointed the scythe in Issei's direction.

"PLUTO!"

"…Huh?" Issei questioned.

"My name is Pluto!" The Grim Reaper bellowed, "I worked under the orders of Lord Hades!"

Issei stared wide-eyed at the Grim Reaper who had served under the Olympian God of the Dead.

"…Pluto's not a planet." Vali stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What?!" Pluto shouted, turning to look at the host of the Vanishing Dragon.

"You heard me. Pluto's not a planet."

"And where the hell did you come up with that ludicrous idea?!"

"What do you mean idea? It's been proven." Vali insisted.

"And since when have mortals ever been right about the objects that dwell in the Solar System?!"

"Actually, I don't think Pluto can even be considered a planet either." Issei put his two cents in, "I remember Leiko-san telling me that when I was littl-"

_**Would you fools cease in your incessant babbling?!**_

Issei, Vali, and Pluto turned their heads to look at an irate Amenominakanushi. The Shinto Kami was willing to humor the Grim Reaper and his sudden appearance, but he quickly grew irritated at his pointless argument with the hosts of the Two Heavenly Dragons.

Much to Amenominakanushi's displeasure and disgust, the aforementioned hosts and the Grim Reaper had already returned to their argument.

"So like I was saying," Vali started, "Pluto isn't a planet. It's a dwarf planet."

If Pluto had possessed any type or layer of skin, he would've foamed at the mouth in rage.

"There! You just said it was a planet!"

"Actually, he said dwarf planet." Issei corrected him.

"Argh!" Pluto snarled before pointing his scythe towards Vali, "You two are starting to grate on my nerves!"

"What nerves?" Issei asked innocently, "You don't have any skin."

Vali struggled to stop the upward twitching of his lips. He'd never imagine that the thought would even cross his mind, but it was times like these that it was highly amusing to see his rival's bouts of naiveté.

This was one of those times.

In fact, Vali was certain that if the people around him weren't present, he would have immediately collapsed into a barely concealed state of hilarity.

"Humph." Vali settled for a slight huff of amusement, before quietly snickering.

Apparently, Issei's innocent comment had furthered Pluto's already increasing rage. The Grim Reaper was shaking horrendously. He'd never suffered so much humiliation in his life.

…Well except from Hades' rule over him, but that wasn't the point!

"So Plato-" Vali started.

"IT'S PLUTO!" The Grim Reaper shrieked.

"…"

Pluto, impatiently waiting for the host of the Vanishing Dragon to respond, turned to look up at him. The Grim Reaper had to give himself credit for not being put off by the look on Vali's face. It was an expression of aloofness and…something else that Pluto couldn't decipher.

"I don't know why…" Vali started slowly, "But I'm getting the overwhelming urge to kill you now."

Pluto gulped down a lump in his bony throat, and he turned to look at the person who _wasn't_ suddenly threatening him.

"Um, Plateau-" Issei began.

"Pluto!" The Grim Reaper corrected.

"What are you doing here anyway?" The son of Amaterasu continued as though he hadn't been interrupted, "Did Hades tell you to come here?"

Huffing at Issei's ignorance, Pluto tapped his scythe on the ground.

"If you must know," He started indignantly, "I did not come here on Lord Hades' order. Nor am I here of my own volition. It was the primordial manifestation of Death itself who ordered me to come to this realm."

Issei's eyes widened at the new piece of information.

"What? You mean Shinigami-san told you to come here?"

"When was it ever established that you could self-appoint yourself to another incarnation of Death?" Vali asked sarcastically.

Snarling at Vali's snarky tone, Pluto turned to face him and waved his scythe at him threateningly.

"You fools are _this close_ to making my blood boil!" He shouted.

"But you don't have any blood." Issei said as he tilted his head.

"Pffft! Ha!" Even for all his pride, Vali was too late to suppress the amused chuckles that rang out of his mouth.

'Hyoudou's really on a roll today.'

"Damn it, you fool!" Pluto cursed Issei, "Stop being so damn literal-minded! God, it's like you're not from Earth or something!"

"Actually-" Issei attempted to retort.

"Never mind!" Pluto interrupted before things could go even further, "Anyway, Death itself sent me down to this realm in order to retrieve the ones you stole from its realm."

Issei's eyes widened in disbelief. He quickly looked back to see the floating silver sphere of energy that encased Aži Dahāka, Grendel, and Crom Cruach.

"The Evil Dragons?" Vali questioned, "You're here to take them back?"

"Yes, I am."

"Hold on a minute!" Issei said as he looked back to Pluto, "You can't take them back! We need their help!"

"Humph." Vali scoffed at this rival, "What do you mean, Hyoudou? They've been trapped in that sphere for a while, so obviously they're of no use to us."

"But Vali, I brought them out of Shinigami-san's Domain for a reason!" Issei retorted with a frown, "If they're going back to her realm, then all the time I spent trying to break them out was pointless!"

"We don't need them, Issei." Vali emphasized firmly, "And besides, did it ever cross your mind that perhaps one of them might turn their backs on us? They're called _Evil_ Dragons for a reason, Hyoudou."

_(He has a point, host of Ddraig.)_

_{Not helping, Albion.}_

_(Whoever said I was?)_

"But what about the Yamata-no-Orochi?" Issei challenged, "She turned good."

"That's because its original incarnation died at the hands of Susanoo-no-Mikoto," Vali pointed out, "The Yamata-no-Orochi that exists in the Kusanagi is just a fragment of its soul. It doesn't count."

"But-" Issei tried to argue.

_**Grim Reaper Pluto.**_

The voice of Amenominakanushi brought the hosts of the Two Heavenly Dragons and Pluto out of their argument once more. In contrast to his earlier brooding expression from earlier, Amenominakanushi was now sporting a malicious and triumphant smirk.

_**Is that truly your intention? To put the Evil Dragons back in the Realm of the Shinigami?**_

Pleased that his name was finally being spoken correctly, Pluto nodded.

"Yes, that is my intention."

Vali adopted an annoyed scowl as he looked over to Issei. His scowl deepening, the host of the Vanishing Dragon directed his hand to the Grim Reaper, prompting Issei's eyes to widen. As Pluto was looking at Amenominakanushi, the former did not notice what Vali was about to do.

'Vali, what are you doing?!' The host of the Welsh Dragon mentally exclaimed.

'What do you think I'm doing, Hyoudou?' Vali mentally shot back, 'Don't tell me you're not aware of what's happening right now!'

'Of course, I'm aware! But you don't need to kill him!'

'Oh don't go all pacifist on me now, Hyoudou!' Vali chastised his rival, 'In case you haven't noticed, the bag of bones is about to remove the Evil Dragons and put them back in the Realm of the Shinigami.'

'But maybe there's a chance he'll remove Samael too!' Issei suggested.

'How do you work that out?' Vali challenged, 'He said nothing about removing Samael.'

'He might choose to take away Samael if we do one thing.'

'And what's that?'

'...We have to say his name.'

Vali raised an eyebrow as he maintained his stare towards his rival.

'You're not serious, aren't you?'

The look of bewildered shock on Vali's face deepened at Issei's serious expression.

'Oh god, you _are_ serious.'

'It's worth a shot, Vali.'

'Hyoudou, that is the dumbest idea I've ever heard.'

'Do you have a better idea?' Issei challenged.

'Yeah,' Vali immediately replied, 'And unlike your plan, it'll be quick and easy.'

'...Vali?'

'What, Hyoudou?'

'You don't remember his name, do you?'

Vali's eyes widened a little in surprise at his rival's ability to read his face. How did Issei know he didn't know what the Grim Reaper's name was?

'What? Of course I do!' Vali blatantly lied.

'I don't think you do, Vali.'

'Well do _you _remember what it is?' Vali shot back questioningly.

'Of course I do, it's Pl-'

_**You see what is happening, son of Amaterasu?!**_

Their mind-linked conversation interrupted, Issei and Vali turned to see Amenominakanushi pointing to the former.

_**This is karma! You thought that you could break the rules of the dead, but not even you are exempt from them! Now there is no absolute chance of you ever-**_

"I'm retrieving Samael as well." Pluto interrupted casually; or as casually as he could muster.

…_**What?**_

Both Issei and Vali's eyes widened in surprise at Pluto's revelation. Issei then adopted a knowing grin and started to open his mouth, only for Vali to point to his rival without even looking at him.

"Be quiet." Vali warned, before Issei could utter a single word.

"It is due to the will of the Biblical God that Samael is destined to dwell in Cocytus for all eternity." Pluto explained, "Not only that, but Lord Hades is the one who is tasked with either sealing or releasing Samael. So I'm taking Samael, too."

_**You can't be serious!**_

"Now if you'll excuse me." Pluto said as he floated towards the trapped Evil Dragons.

With a wave of his scythe, Pluto summoned a portal that manifested under the silver shield. As the pull from the portal lowered the shield, a sudden noise was uttered.

_CREEEEEEEEEEEEE_

A crack suddenly appeared on the shield, its creases breaking apart. Pluto looked upon the breaking shield with interest, before shrugging as he paid it no mind. Then, in a motion so fast that Pluto almost missed it, a small dark green scale that was in the shape of a small sphere, ejected out of the shield. The dark-green sphere landed on the ground, causing a small crack to appear.

_{Partner, look!)_

Issei's eyes widened at the sight of the object.

'What is that?'

_((Looks like a dragon scale in the shape of a sphere.))_

_[Ssssscale is green.]_

'So that's…?!' Issei's thoughts trailed off in disbelief.

_{Yes, partner. That's Grendel's scale.}_

As Issei's eyes widened further, he turned to look at Amenominakanushi to check if he had seen it as well. Much to Issei's confusion, the Shinto Kami was still staring at the Grim Reaper with a look of indignant rage.

As the portal finally engulfed the silver shield, Pluto immediately transmitted out of sight, and appeared in front of Amenominakanushi. The Shinto Kami let out a fierce snarl as he stood in front of Samael. This wasn't supposed to end like this!

_**Don't you dare, you pathetic Grim Reaper! **_

As Amenominakanushi continued his rant, Issei turned his head to look at the spherical green scale. Narrowing his eyes, he pushed his hand forward, causing a black hole to emerge from under the scale. As the scale dropped down into the vortex, Issei used his other hand, causing another black hole to manifest. As he expected, Grendel's dragon scale dropped into his hand.

_{Hmm.}_

_((What is it, Ddraig?))_

_{Do you not sense it, clone of Albion?}_

_[Grendel'ssss power.]_

_{You'd be correct, Yamata-no-Orochi. Out of all the Dragons that exist in this world, Grendel is the one who is considered to wield the hardest and most durable scales.}_

Issei stared at the spherical shape of Grendel's scale, and tightened his hold on it.

_((Kid?))_

'…I think I have an idea.'

_{That's what you always say, Issei. And yet they turn out bad.}_

'Just hear me out!' Issei mentally pleaded, 'Look at the size, Ddraig. It's about the size of Albion's jewel. And it carries Grendel's energy. So if I manifested the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi into its armor form, I can-'

_{Absolutely not, partner! Yes, when you embedded the jewel of Albion into your Dragon Armor, the desired result was achieved! But even then, it was a risky move, and you know it!}_

'But Ddraig-!'

_{No, partner! And besides, what makes you think that scale will be compatible with the armor of Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi anyway?}_

Issei frowned at the Red Dragon Emperor's question.

'I…I don't know.' He admitted as he momentarily closed the mind-link.

_**I will be damned if you are going to take away my chances of victory against the son of Amaterasu!**_

"Oh?" Pluto challenged, "And what exactly are you going to do about it?"

Amenominakanushi grit his teeth in pure enmity. What could he do? The son of Amaterasu had to die! He just had to! Samael was the Shinto Kami's trump card, and now he was about to be taken away!

'_**Damn it all! This cannot be happening! Together, Samael and I were supposed to destroy that foolish brat! I…'**_

It was at that moment Amenominakanushi paused in his thoughts.

'_**Samael and I. Samael AND I!'**_

A triumphant smile appeared on the Shinto Kami's face, prompting Issei, Vali, and Pluto to give him looks of confusion.

"What are you smiling about?" Vali asked.

_**Why it's simple, you insolent half-breed. I am smiling because I have formulated a strategy that will allow me to keep Samael here by my side.**_

'What's he planning?' Issei questioned in his mind.

"And just how do you intend to do that?" Pluto challenged.

The Shinto Kami was ecstatic! And just a few moments ago, he had been so worried! But now he had nothing to worry about!

_**It is just as I've told Issei Hyoudou and Vali Lucifer! With me and Samael together, nothing will be able to stop me from claiming victory!**_

"…Really?" Vali said in utter aloofness.

Amenominakanushi's glee was cut short as he glared at the descendant of Lucifer.

_**What?**_

"Are you actually planning to combine with Samael _just_ to combat Hyoudou and me?"

_**Don't act so sure of yourself, half-breed. You have no idea what will happen once Samael and I combine.**_

"What makes you think I don't?" Vali retorted.

_**What makes you think you do?**_

"Because the Heavenly Emperor Indra did it."

…_**Excuse you?**_

"Yeah, Indra did it." Vali reiterated as he glanced over to Issei, "He absorbed Yoru, Sun Wukong, myself, and the first beasts known as the Leviathans."

Amenominakanushi frowned at the host of the Vanishing Dragon petulantly.

_**But my attempt is differe-**_

"He also did it with the intention of defeating Issei Hyoudou." Vali continued, "Like you're doing right now."

_**Now you listen, you little-**_

_Little shut-in…_

Amenominakanushi was cut off as the bodiless voice made itself known once more. With the exception of both Issei and Vali, Pluto jumped in response to the unexpected voice.

"Where did that come from?"

"Hmm." Vali hummed, "I'd almost forgotten about that."

_**So you reveal yourself once more! Come out, wherever you are!**_

"Who are you talking to?" Pluto questioned.

His attention diverting from Grendel's scale for the moment, Issei looked up at the sky.

'There's that voice again.'

Narrowing his eyes, Issei went to move, until he felt something restrict him. His eyes widening in surprise, Issei looked down to see the multi-colored energy spirals, their motion coiling around him.

'What's going on?' He questioned as he looked up, only to blink several times.

The clouds of the Underworld were no longer moving. They were perfectly still. His eyes shifting from left to right, Issei looked over to see Amenominakanushi with his arm outstretched in a pointing motion. The Shinto Kami was completely still.

The son of Amaterasu looked up to see Vali in a similar situation. His rival wasn't moving. At all.

_{This seems very familiar.}_

Issei blinked again in confusion.

"I-"

_Little shut-in…_

"?!"

Issei didn't have enough time to utter a single world before the coils of energy tightened their hold on him.

"GAH!" Issei cried out in surprise.

The last thing he heard before his entire world went dark was the sound of a soft and loving coo.

_Issei…_

* * *

><p>Consciousness came back to the son of Amaterasu slowly. As he slowly opened his eyes, Issei found that there was nothing in front of him. His eyes widening, Issei blinked them multiple times, convinced that he was still unconscious or something.<p>

When he found that nothing was changing, he let out a groan as he stood up. As he looked around, Issei frowned deeply as he realized that he was no longer in the Underworld.

'Oh come on, not again!'

If Issei hadn't become accustomed to being in a realm of pitch blackness, he would've been a little disgruntled. At this point, he only felt a slight annoyance creep up in him.

He couldn't see anything at all! He didn't have time for this!

"Damn it!" He cursed, "I really don't need this right now! I have to help Vali before things go even worse!"

His impatience getting the best of him, Issei released his energy and went to move.

_Little shut-in!_

Issei mentally admonished himself for jumping at the unexpected voice. Of all the things that he had gone through, he shouldn't have been afraid of the sudden arrival of the unknown voice.

_My little shut-in is finally here! With me!_

'Little shut-in?' Issei questioned in his mind as he looked around his surroundings.

Immediately after doing so, he sighed and palmed himself in the face. Of course the voice was referring to _him_. He was the only one in this godforsaken pitch-black realm.

But still…

"Little shut-in?" Issei repeated the name quietly in disbelief.

In hindsight, Issei felt that he should've been used to having the word 'my' being used before his name or any given nickname. In Ophis' case, it was either '_my_ Issei' or '_my_ foolish little mate.

But the voice who was communicating with him; a voice he still didn't recognize, was referring to him as its 'little shut-in'.

…That was different.

_Yes! You! You are my little shut-in!_

If the situation hadn't been so serious and confusing, Issei would've given the voice props for coming up with a new 'pet name' for him. Even if the nickname alluded to his reclusive nature; which was something he was still trying to grow out of.

_I…I am so happy!_

True to the voice's words, it sounded absolutely ecstatic, so Issei sure as hell wasn't going to disagree with it. His eyes adjusting to the darkness, Issei looked around more of his surroundings, trying to think of a way to get back to the arena of the Underworld.

"I need to get out of here." Issei said to himself quietly.

_Are you trying to escape?_

The voice had spoken so suddenly that Issei jumped _again_. It no longer sounded cheerful or joyful. But much to Issei's surprise, it didn't carry an obsessive or possessive lilt to it either.

As his eyes narrowed, Issei lifted his hand up to summon a portal. The son of Amaterasu kept his raised hand for a few moments longer, waiting for the black hole to manifest. His eyes lifted up in confusion when nothing appeared in front of him.

Issei moved his other hand up to perform the same action, and still, nothing appeared from his palm. His confusion turned to shock as he stared and moved his head side-to-side to look at both of his hands.

"What's going on?"

Why weren't any black holes manifesting in front of him?

_What is little shut-in doing?_

Issei kept his mouth shut as he listened to the vague tone of the voice carefully.

_You do not have to go back. You can stay here…with me._

"With you?" Issei asked the voice before shaking his head, "No, I have to go back! Both Vali and I have to beat Amenominakanushi and Samael so we can save everyone!"

_But you will be safe with me. I'll keep you here so that no one will be able to harm you._

What was the voice saying? Keeping him? In this pitch-black realm? Issei was beginning to feel a bit- no _completely_ unnerved by the bodiless voice. Not only could he not see where the voice was coming from, but he couldn't even escape the realm.

Issei took a step back and tried to manipulate his energy. He felt a bit miffed that not only was he unable to summon a black hole, but he couldn't even manage to form a shield around his body. Why weren't any of his powers working?

"I can't stay here!" He said to himself, "I have to find some way out of this place!"

_No, Issei! Wait!_

Despite his words, Issei felt his body stop in response. The voice had changed, its tone becoming faintly feminine. Not just feminine, but familiar. It sounded just like…

Issei looked up just in time to see multiple cracks appear above him from the pitch-black realm. The young man covered his eyes with his hands, the bright light from the cracks almost close to blinding him.

Flowing out of the lights were large spirals of energy that traveled down in front of Issei. The energy crashed onto the ground and proceeded to form into the shape of a slender and curvy woman with hips that were slightly wider than her shoulders. Her short and slightly frizzy auburn-brown hair was silky, while her lips were adorned by an attractive faint shade of lipstick. The woman's eyes were closed, allowing Issei to spot a barely noticeable shade of pale blue eye-shadow on her eyelids.

Issei couldn't stop his body from trembling at the sight of the woman, who lifted her head up and slowly opened her eyes, revealing a lavish shade of green. The woman's expression immediately perked up as her eyes directly locked themselves onto Issei. She smiled at him ardently, with Issei noticing a crinkle at her eyes that exuded great warmth.

"My little shut-in." She cooed gently as she began to walk forward.

"Y-you look just like…" Issei stuttered, his words failing him.

'Move!' He ordered himself.

Issei stood stiffly and remained at his spot, his body seemingly unwilling to respond to his thoughts.

'Do something!'

His body still wasn't moving.

'DO SOMETHING!'

The woman didn't seem to be in any mood to rush in her pace, because she _really_ took her time walking towards Issei. She just stared at him, smiling.

Extremely put off from the woman's unchanging expression, Issei grunted as he moved a couple steps back.

This woman…

'She looks just like Leiko-san! An older version of her!'

It was true! The voice had taken the form of a fully-physical developed and mature version of Leiko Hyoudou. Issei recognized the brown-colored hair, the familiar facial features, and especially the voice (despite it noticeably sounding much lower).

The woman finally stopped in her pace as she stood in front of the frozen Issei. Her smile, which seemed to be growing wider and wider, remained on her face.

Issei felt paralyzed on the spot, and he willed himself to look somewhere else as the woman continued to stare at him.

"Little shut-in…" The woman cooed again, her voice actually sounding a bit sultry, "I'm so…so happy to finally see you!"

Despite himself, Issei felt his cheeks heat up against his own will. Keeping her smile, the woman reached her hand over and placed it through Issei's brown hair, moving it along his head gently. Issei still couldn't move. All he could do was stare wide-eyed with his mouth tightly closed. He saw that the woman had never lifted her gaze from his face, her eyes never moving.

Leiko had never looked at him like this before. And that was exactly why it was so _jarring_ to see a mature version of her staring at him with such an overtly affectionate expression.

Issei looked cautiously at the woman, expecting her to take the hint and see that he was getting uncomfortable. But she never moved. She only resumed petting his head softly. And she was _still_ smiling!

"Little shut-in…" The woman cooed once more as she leaned her face closer, prompting Issei to move his head back.

Moments later, she finally released her hand from his hair, bringing a massive amount of relief to Issei. But that relief was quickly shut down when the woman quickly brought her face close to his, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

_SMOOCH_

Issei immediately reached to cover the cheek that was just given affection. Unlike the times before when he received numerous kisses on the cheek, this one was different. It wasn't warm at all. No amount of warmth spread through his body. It was something else.

Something that Issei didn't even _want _to discover.

"Little shut-in?" She asked, her tone almost questioning.

The woman suddenly looked curious; prompting Issei to realize that it was the first shift in her simpering expression since she'd been staring at him.

"Issei?" She asked again.

He needed to get out of here!

"Little shut-in?"

Issei was pulled back into reality when he felt the touch of a hand on his cheek. He was too late to stop his eyes from looking over to the woman, and saw that she was holding a confused and sad expression.

The worst part was that he could actually _imagine_ Leiko giving him that expression. After all, the woman had her brown hair, her looks, and her voice.

If Issei didn't know any better (and knowing him, he probably didn't), he could've sworn that the woman was purposely making her lips pouty.

"Why does little shut-in look so confused?"

Confused? Ha! Confusion was a total understatement to what Issei was feeling at the moment. He felt confused, shaken…and downright _horrified_!

He had thought it was over when he forced Amenominakanushi to stop using Leiko's form in order to taunt him. But this woman- no the voice had taken a mature version of Leiko's appearance. Why? Why would it do that? What was it trying to do?

The woman tilted her head as her hand trailed down to Issei's chin. Her eyes gained an even more confused air about them as she peered down to look at her form.

'Does this form not soothe little shut-in?' She questioned herself, 'I do not understand.'

She truly didn't. Why was her little shut-in looking at her with such hesitance and uncertainty?

Seconds later, a look of realization appeared on the woman's face, and the smile she wore earlier made itself known.

Her little shut-in was just nervous. She couldn't blame him for that.

Her smile becoming fuller, the woman leaned her face forward and positioned her mouth so that it was next to Issei's ear.

"Issei…" She breathed, despite her voice sounding a bit breathless.

Issei felt an ominous tingle go down his spine, and he once again felt that he couldn't move. He never heard Leiko utter his name with that tone of her voice.

The woman leaned back and sent Issei a pout.

"Little shut-in."

Issei couldn't ignore the woman's pout even if he could. The faint-blue eye shadow around her eyes made them even bigger and almost doll-like. And if Issei wasn't hallucinating, he was pretty sure that her lips weren't a dark red color before.

"Please Issei," She begged in a soft, meek voice, "Please do not look so frightened. Please, please?"

If he wasn't feeling so damn conflicted right now, Issei probably would have commented on the woman's speech patterns. But for the moment, he wouldn't dwell on that.

Noticing that her little shut-in's expression wasn't changing, the woman moved her hand on his cheek in a wave-like motion.

"I am not going to harm you." She insisted, "You are my little shut-in. I would not even think of doing it."

"…Why?" Issei finally asked, his throat almost straining from trying to use his voice.

The woman's eyes widened in response to Issei's words.

"Why what?" She repeated.

"Why do you keep calling me 'little shut-in'?" He asked, almost dreading the answer.

The woman stared wide-eyed at him for a while, her small mouth falling open before closing quickly.

"Because," She started, "That is what you are. You are my little shut-in. You've been my little shut-in since the day you were born."

The day he was born? This was all so confusing.

The touch of another hand on his other cheek brought Issei out of his thoughts. The woman had both of her hands on his cheeks, her touch soft and gentle.

"You've belonged to me from the very beginning." She reiterated, "Always."

Damn it all! Why was he picturing Leiko saying all this?!

"That fact alone will never change," The woman continued, "Regardless of the Infinite One's action in marking you."

Issei tensed and looked up at the mention of his wife, and immediately wished he hadn't. The woman was no longer wearing her pouty expression; nor was she smiling. Her green eyes were cruel, narrowed into slits. Her dark red lips were pressed into a small, hard line.

Issei's body shook. Just imagining Leiko with that expression made his skin crawl. The woman's eyes sharpened a tiny fraction as they shifted away from Issei for the moment.

"As if it takes someone to mark you in order to prove who you belong to." She muttered, her vocal tone almost dark and ominous.

Issei remained silent, unsure of what to do at this turn of events. The longer he stayed here with this woman, the more time he worried about how long was the Earth was going to last. How long Amaterasu and the rest of the solar deities could endure their weakened states. And how long Vali could withstand the trouble of facing both Amenominakanushi and Samael.

"But…that is no longer the case."

Issei lifted his head up to look at the woman questioningly. What exactly did she mean?

Sending her eyes towards Issei, the woman's cruel expression immediately softened into a look of overt adoration and love. Her warm smile quickly returned, as though it had never disappeared in the first place.

"Your original body was destroyed a while ago. So you no longer carry the mark of Ouroboros." She stated, her smile growing much warmer, "Which also means that you do not belong to her anymore."

Issei couldn't help the lump that grew in his throat, and he tried his damnedest to gulp it down and control himself. The woman was now staring at him with a simpering expression, furthering Issei's uncertainty.

"Which means that I can do this." She continued.

Issei didn't have enough time to process what the woman meant by 'this', before he felt a sudden pair of lips crash against his. His eyes shot open as his body became paralyzed with shock.

He couldn't think. He couldn't react at all.

When his mind finally registered what was happening, Issei found that he was unable to move. The woman held a strong grip on his body, unwilling to let him go.

This wasn't happening.

This couldn't be happening.

It had to be an illusion conjured up by Amenominakanushi in order to get his guard down. It had to be.

But it wasn't.

When the woman finally released her lips from her little shut-in, she maintained her smile and tilted her head. Leaning her head forward, she puckered her lips out.

_SMOOCH_

A dark red mark appeared on Issei's forehead.

_SMOOCH_

Another on his temple.

_SMOOOOOOOOCH_

The last mark appeared on his nose, leaving his face almost covered by the woman's lipstick marks.

Issei was motionless; his brain trying to function on what had just transpired. In his mind, only two words popped up, bringing him into a state of horror and peril.

'Oh no...'

_**Please read and review :)**_


	57. Something Bad, Something Good?

**Death's Domain**

"Well, that was a complete and utter waste of time!"

"This is that damn fool's fault! Why the hell didn't he warn us that Shinto bastard had the power to trap us in that damn cage?! It would've been nice to know that little tidbit!"

"All that time wasted! No wonder everyone wants to kill the brat!"

"And at no point did he even try to get us out of there! All because the bastard Shinto Kami distracted the brat when he made himself look like a weak female human!"

The three Evil Dragons all stood upon the cold atmosphere of the Realm of the Shinigami. While the leader appeared outwardly as calm as ever, the moods of his two comrades were a different story.

In contrast to the indignant rage of Grendel and Aži Dahāka, Crom Cruach continued to stare impassively at the lost souls that dwelled nearby. The Crescent Circle Dragon was completely still, his mind in a rather thoughtful state.

"He tried to save us."

Both Grendel and Aži Dahāka turned to look at Crom Cruach, who was fixing the both of them with a stern glare.

"What?" Aži Dahāka questioned.

"While Issei Hyoudou did fail in preventing us from evading Amenominakanushi's spherical cage, he did try to warn us beforehand. Do you two not remember? He attempted to conjure up a black hole so he could block the Kami's sphere and prevent us from being captured."

Grendel's scowl deepened at the reminder, while Aži Dahāka merely huffed.

"Fine!" Aži Dahāka muttered petulantly, "I'll admit; he tried to help us! But none of that matters anymore! The brat tried and he failed!"

Satisfied with Aži Dahāka's admittance, Crom Cruach turned his head to look at the moody Grendel, who growled irritably in response.

"Do you honestly expect me to feel even the slightest bit of gratefulness towards him?" He questioned angrily, "Well, tough shit! All of this was an absolute waste of time! And just when I was actually growing excited at the thought of fighting someone other than you bastards; that little shit had to go and ruin it all due to his stupidity!"

Grendel then closed his mouth and settled for the alternative of glaring at Crom Cruach. As Aži Dahāka rolled his eyes at his comrade's complaining, he did a double-take when he noticed something different about Grendel.

The difference was barely noticeable, so Aži Dahāka was a bit surprised that he had spotted it so quickly and thoroughly. Grendel became aware that all three of Aži Dahāka's heads were staring at him with rare looks of quizzical confusion, and proceeded to respond in a typical 'Grendel' fashion.

"What the hell are you looking at me like that for?!"

"Haven't you noticed, you fool?!" Aži Dahāka shot back.

"Noticed what?!"

"Your scales! Parts of your scales are missing!"

The look of fury on Grendel's face momentarily disappeared as he turned his head to see that parts of his scales were indeed missing. It was small, but now Grendel could see it.

The realization slowly dawning upon his psychotic mind, Grendel gritted his teeth.

"All right, who has the BALLS?!" He shouted, his voice echoing through the atmosphere of Death's Domain, "Who's responsible for this?!"

Aži Dahāka, although a bit annoyed by his comrade's overreaction (since Grendel didn't even notice that a piece of his scale was gone until he had pointed it out), was surprised at the audacity.

Grendel's scales; despite not being sought out that often, were considered to be one of the most hardest and impenetrable scales out of all the Dragons that existed. During his time in Death's Domain, the durability of Grendel's scales had increased along with his strength.

So who would be dumb enough to steal Grendel's scales?

"It was you, wasn't it?!" Grendel accused Aži Dahāka, whose three heads gave him looks of shock.

"Me?! You dumbass!" Aži Dahāka retorted in outrage before glaring at the Crime Force Dragon, "If I'm the one who stole your precious scales, then why the hell would I point out to you that they were missing?"

Grendel only growled in response as he turned to look at the other Evil Dragon in front of him.

Crom Cruach, who had been silent during the conversation between Grendel and Aži Dahāka, only raised a cool eyebrow at the Crime Force Dragon.

"Crom Cruach…" Grendel started slowly before he growled out his next words, "You've got some nerve doing something like that."

There was a tense silence as Grendel fixed the passive looking Crom Cruach with an ominous glower. The Crescent Circle Dragon; who didn't look the least bit frightened by his comrade's expression, crossed his arms.

"…We all made a promise to Issei Hyoudou." Crom Cruach broke the silence.

"Promise?!" Grendel almost screeched, "News flash, Crom Cruach! We're still stuck in this realm! The brat said that he was going to free us, and I'll admit he did. For like twenty seconds! Face it; he failed to keep his promise, so we don't have to keep ours either!"

Crom Cruach was silent as he watched his comrade's attempts to calm himself.

"Why did you do it, Crom Cruach?" Aži Dahāka asked, "Of all the asinine stuff you could've done, why did you give Issei Hyoudou a shard of Grendel's scale? Don't tell us you're on that brat's side now!"

Crom Cruach gave no response.

"Answer the damn question!" Grendel shouted, "Why the hell did you do it?!"

"…Do you want Samael gone?" Crom Cruach finally responded.

The Crescent Circle Dragon's question prompted both Grendel and Aži Dahāka to give him looks of surprise.

"Do we want Samael gone?" Aži Dahāka repeated before his glare returned, "You fool! The only reason that Shinto Kami is using Samael at all is because he wants to destroy the brat! He couldn't give two shits about us!"

"What makes you think that Amenominakanushi can fully control Samael?" Crom Cruach asked again, "The Dragon Eater was sealed for a reason, and there is a chance that the Kami of Shintoism's control over him will fade eventually."

"So what?" Grendel challenged, "You think Samael's going to turn his back on that Shinto bastard and attack us?"

"…" Crom Cruach was once again silent before replying, "Not just us."

The Crescent Circle Dragon's cryptic response brought a wave of annoyance to Grendel, who huffed.

"That still doesn't explain why you gave the brat a piece of my scale!"

"It might be of some use to Issei Hyoudou."

"Some use to him?!" Aži Dahāka exclaimed, "You can't honestly believe that will give him an advantage against Samael! And another thing; what makes you think Grendel's scale is compatible to him?!"

"It worked for the Yamata-no-Orochi. It shares the same classification as us, and its power is compatible with the Welsh Dragon." Crom Cruach pointed out, prompting the other Evil Dragons to frown.

Quietly cursing to himself, Grendel shook his head and released a deep growling sigh.

"That brat better appreciate this." He muttered darkly.

* * *

><p>'<strong>Mind' of the Supernatural<strong>

The supernatural had the sudden urge to giggle in utmost glee as she continued to gaze fondly at her little shut-in. She could sense his confused feelings, his emotions, and his fragile state of mind.

She had long ago adjusted to the movement of her recently created body, its entire structure trembling and shivering with excessive pleasure and bliss.

Her little shut-in…was so _wonderful_!

"W-who…who _are_ you?"

The words had jumped out of Issei's mouth the moment his brain finally recovered from shutting down from what the woman had just done.

Never mind the fact that parts of his face were now covered with dark crimson-red lipstick marks. And never mind the fact that his face was burning with a white-hot intensity that was almost too painful to feel.

The 'voice' was _still_ staring at him.

The voice that had chosen to manifest into a feminine incarnation.

The incarnation who had taken the form of a more adult and womanly version of Leiko Hyoudou.

The woman who had _KISSED_ him!

Issei knew that there was absolutely nothing he could do to make that fact fade away from his mind.

Ophis was going to be _furious_ with him! And the worst part was that Issei didn't know if he was considered to be guilty or not! He still didn't have much of an understanding of social cues and rules, but he knew that he was going to be in a whole lot of trouble regardless.

Ophis was the only who had ever kissed him on the lips. It was always her.

But now he no longer had his original body, which meant that…

Issei's mind nearly shut down again at the realization.

The woman had taken his 'first kiss'. She had taken it forcefully; not even giving him the chance to move away or prevent it from happening.

He had tried to back away from the woman when she initiated the kiss; he honestly did. But she wouldn't let him go. Deep within the pitch-black realm, the woman's presence alone was overwhelmingly suffocating.

Issei couldn't breathe. He'd thought this _many _times before; due to his knowledge and interaction with most of the omnipotent supernatural entities he had come in contact with. But the presence of this woman…

It was smothering him entirely. And her using Leiko's voice and face wasn't lessening the strain and terror he was currently feeling in the slightest.

Why did the voice have to take Leiko's form? Why was it using her voice? _Why _was it torturing him?

Who was she?

Despite his thoughts becoming rambled, Issei tried to think of a solution to his question.

Could she be Amenominakanushi in disguise once again? He had taken the form of Leiko before.

At the thought, Issei immediately felt bile rise up in his throat.

No, it couldn't be the Kami of Shintoism. Amenominakanushi wanted to destroy him; not kiss him! For all his idiotic spitefulness and disproportionate retribution, the Shinto Kami wouldn't stoop that low.

It couldn't be Ophis, Death, or for that matter, the Omniversal Entity. He'd seen the Infinite Dragon God and the female incarnation of the End smile before. And even then, their smiles weren't as bright as the woman's in front of him was. And the 'Above' Entity was far too emotionless and apathetic to exude any ounce of excitement.

The woman tilted her head as her smile widened.

"Think, Issei." She suddenly spoke, prompting Issei to look at her in surprise.

She could read his mind?

His non-spoken question was answered when the woman immediately nodded to him in response.

"You know who I am." She said sweetly.

'But I don't!' Issei wanted to say out loud, but couldn't.

As she looked at her little shut-in's unchanging expression of confusion, the woman reached for his wrist. Issei immediately went to pull his hand back, only for the woman to successfully grab his wrist and place his palm on her well-endowed chest.

Issei tensed at the action and looked up at the woman in bewilderment.

"What are you do-"

_THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP_

"?!"

_THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP_

"Do you feel them, my little shut-in?" The woman cooed.

Gasping in shock, Issei could only watch as he continued to feel two 'hearts' beating from the woman's chest.

'T-two hearts?!' He exclaimed in his mind.

"Yes, two hearts. Two hearts that beat for you only." The woman said, her tone becoming almost smug and husky, "And two hearts…both of whom you belong to."

This was getting too bizarre for Issei's liking. He still didn't know who the woman was; or why she decided to take Leiko's form.

"Y-you're not making any sense." Issei hesitated in his words, "I've never met you before."

"Oh but you have, little shut-in," The woman cooed again as she brushed her fingers along his cheek, bringing his mind to a screeching halt.

Issei could still feel the dual heart beats from the woman's chest, and he found himself freezing as he looked directly into her eyes. They were round; just like Leiko's. Instead of the crimson-ruby eyes he was used to seeing, Issei could only see dark-emerald orbs of sight. And…were the color of her lips slowly changing to an even more darker crimson shade?

Or perhaps was it...

_Blood-red?_

"You spoke to me." The woman whispered as she suddenly moved her head closer to his face, "When you did that, it made me feel such bliss. To hear your sweet voice."

The woman's smile suddenly faltered as she tightened her grip on Issei's wrist, causing the latter to wince in discomfort.

"There is no one in this vast world," The woman began, the ardent tone in her voice emphasizing the impact of her next words, "No one on Earth, and _no one_ in the entire Universe and beyond…who loves you more than I do."

The words were said in such a passionate and zealous tone that Issei could actually feel his face reddening against his own will.

Who was this woman?!

She claimed that he belonged to her since the moment he was born. The very second he was brought into existence; he had already become hers to _keep_.

Damn it all!

Who_ was_ she?!

* * *

><p><strong>Arena of the Underworld<strong>

When Vali started to become aware once again, he blinked several times to get his mind back on track.

_(Vali, are you all right?)_

'I'm fine, Albion.' Vali mentally replied before his eyes narrowed, 'That occurrence. It felt as though time itself stopped again. How does that keep happening?'

_(I honestly have no idea.)_

Cricking his neck, the host of the Vanishing Dragon looked around his surroundings, spotting the confuzzled figures of Pluto and Amenominakanushi. Both the aforementioned Grim Reaper and the Kami of Shintoism shook their heads and looked at each other.

"D-did the time that surrounds this world suddenly stop?" Pluto asked no one in particular, his tone almost unsure.

The Shinto Kami kept silent as he glared all around him. His glare deepened when the descendant of Lucifer fixed him with an annoyed stare. As Amenominakanushi lowered his gaze, his eyes widened when he saw the one person who was missing.

_**Where is the son of Amaterasu?!**_

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…._

The massive stature of Samael roared in great fury, seemingly agreeing with the Shinto Kami's question.

At the mention of Issei, Vali and Pluto turned to look to the direction where the former's rival stood moments earlier.

There was no one there.

"What's this?!" Pluto exclaimed.

"Damn it, Hyoudou!" Vali cursed, "_Now_ where did you go?"

It was just like the incident in the food court during Indra's tournament. Time had suddenly stopped, and just like before, his rival was nowhere to be found. Why the hell did Issei Hyoudou keep disappearing?

_(Vali.)_

'What is it?' Vali retorted, his annoyance slipping through.

_(I sense Ddraig, my clone, and the Yamata-no-Orochi nearby.)_

'All right, then where's Hyoudou?'

_(...You heard what I said, didn't you Vali?)_

Vali thought for a moment to ponder the White Dragon Emperor's words, and he felt an unnerving pang of worry hit him.

'You can't sense Issei.' Vali mentally concluded, 'But you can sense the Dragons.'

_(Yes.)_

Damn it all. Where was his rival? Despite his tendency to keep to himself, Issei wasn't the type of person to run away from a battle, no matter how many disadvantages he had. That meant someone had to have taken him.

But who?

_{Albion!}_

At the call of his Dragon's name, Vali moved his head to look down toward the ground, and his eyes widened a bit.

_(D-DDRAIG?!)_

_{Damn it, you fool! It took you long enough to answer!}_

Vali stared in bewilderment at the large object lying on the ground below him. The object was the combination of the seals that encased the Red Dragon Emperor, the Eight-Forked Serpent, and the clone of the White Dragon Emperor.

The Vanishing Kusanagi!

This was impossible! What kind of entity would have enough strength to _remove_ the power of Dragons from his rival's body?

The aforementioned sword was glowing with crimson-black and silver energy. Vali gritted his teeth as he stared at the weapon that belonged to Issei Hyoudou.

'Just perfect.' Vali mentally muttered, 'Whoever transported Hyoudou away from here, took great measures to make it absolutely sure that he couldn't defend himself if he needed to.'

The host of the Vanishing Dragon had a bad feeling about the current situation. Not for himself of course.

Despite the situation, Vali was sure he could handle both the Dragon Eater and the Shinto Kami alone. After all, if Issei Hyoudou had managed to damage Amenominakanushi to a great degree, then Vali felt that he would have no problem. All he needed to do was make sure to keep wary of Samael's power. His rival had already saved him from the Dragon Eater's poison, so he was good for now.

Then again, Pluto _did_ tell Amenominakanushi that he was going to take Samael back to Cocytus anyway.

_[What issssss going on?]_

_((This is not good! I can't sense the kid anywhere.))_

Vali huffed in exasperation. Great, now the Yamata-no-Orochi and his Dragon's clone were growing restless. Was it not clear to the Dragons that he was worried about his rival, too?

_{An unknown supernatural entity must have taken partner to another section of this world. Perhaps it is a realm that neither of us has visited.}_

_(But what realm?)_

_**So Amaterasu's child has begun to show his true colors!**_

His ears not even close to adjusting to the smug tone of Amenominakanushi, Vali turned to look at the Shinto Kami in annoyance.

"What are you blathering on about now?" Vali asked with a barely suppressed scowl.

The Kami pointed to the host of the Vanishing Dragon with a sneer.

_**Can you not see who is missing? Can you not see what is lying on the ground beneath you? Think you fool; Issei Hyoudou has abandoned you and his Dragons because he has finally realized what he is up against!**_

"Don't make me laugh, Shinto Kami." Vali shot back, "I know my rival, and he'd never abandon anyone on his side; nor would he back out of a fight."

'He's too damn stubborn to do that.' He mentally added to himself.

_**Well, if he did not abandon you, descendant of Lucifer, then why isn't he here? Why did he leave the Kusanagi and that blade with the power of the White Dragon Emperor on the ground below you?**_

Vali was almost tempted to say the possible reason out loud; but like hell he was going to give the Shinto Kami another chance to spout out more of his ridiculous nonsense.

'Because someone who is undoubtedly obsessed with him took him away.' Vali snarked in his mind, 'I wouldn't be surprised if it was the supernatural world itself.'

_(Don't be ridiculous, Vali.)_

'Don't give me that, Albion.' Vali mentally shot back, 'Ophis, the Omniversal Entity, and Death itself showed interest in Issei Hyoudou. It's not that far-fetched for this vast world to be drawn to him as well.'

_(The supernatural is merely a world, Vali; a concept. Yes, the entities you mentioned had the ability to manifest as shapes and express their interest in Ddraig's host, but the supernatural world? I find it very unlikely that this world has the capability to do that. It's not even sentient.)_

Vali felt himself scoff at his Dragon's words. He was only joking about the supernatural world being obsessed with Issei. As if that was even remotely possible.

'No reason for you to take it so seriously, Albion.'

"Perhaps someone could have taken him." Pluto suddenly deduced, much to Vali's mild ire.

_**Humph. Whether or not our interpretations are similar has nothing to do with what's going on. Issei Hyoudou is no longer here, and you, Vali Lucifer, are now at my mercy. Due to the Kusanagi and Vanishing Blade being freed from his body; and since you refuse to use any other weapon besides your own, they are of no use to anyone.**_

"What are you going to do with the swords?" Pluto asked, earning a sharp glare from Vali.

"Would you be quiet?" The host of the Vanishing Dragon whispered angrily.

The Grim Reaper paid no attention to Vali's questioning, and waited for Amenominkanushi to respond.

_**Do not belittle me, Grim Reaper. The powers of the Red Dragon Emperor and the Yamata-no-Orochi are of no threat to me, since they require a powerful host in order for their abilities to manifest.**_

"So you are not going to destroy them?" Pluto asked again, "Even though it would greatly benefit you in the end?"

Vali at this point was signaling the Grim Reaper to shut his damn mouth before the current situation got even worse. The descendant of Lucifer would be damned if he was going to let the skeleton give Amenominakanushi an advantage.

_(If worse comes to worse, Vali, we can just divide him until there's nothing left of him.)_

While he wholeheartedly agreed with Albion's suggestion, Vali forced himself to calm down. He wouldn't lose his restraint. He wouldn't let the Grim Reaper get to him like this. He had to stay focused, and keep a peaceful state of mind.

Amenominakanushi then narrowed his eyes as a look of contemplation passed over his face.

_**Hmm. With the discovery of Issei Hyoudou's cowardice, I am unable to recall what my plan was.**_

"You were going through your convoluted plan which consisted of fusing with Samael." The Grim Reaper dryly reminded him, earning another glare from Vali.

_**Ah, yes. Thank you, Grim Reaper, for reminding me. **_

_(Honestly, this fool is this close to being divided.)_

"Hey Plato, I thought you said you were going to retrieve Samael and seal him back in Cocytus." Vali reminded the Grim Reaper.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Pluto replied innocently, "I am having a bit of trouble hearing you over the fact that you've consistently mistaken me for someone else."

Val stared at the Grim Reaper in astonishment, before his eyes narrowed.

"Oh no. Do not be that guy right now." Vali replied.

"I can assure you that I am unequivocally going to be that guy right now." Pluto snidely shot back.

"You're risking the entire welfare of this world and the planet Earth all because I've failed to say your name correctly?" Vali asked in disbelief, "You didn't even tell us what your name was!"

Pluto, to his credit, was so angry that he almost dropped his scythe on the ground.

Was the host of the Vanishing Dragon being serious right now? No, he couldn't be! The Grim Reaper expected this type of nonsense from the son of Amaterasu; but not from the descendant of Lucifer.

"Yes, I did!" Pluto exclaimed angrily, "I so did!"

"…" Vali was silent for a moment, before his eyes narrowed further, "I'm pretty sure I'd remember if you did."

"I literally _just_ told you and the son of Amaterasu my name a while ago!" Pluto shouted in disbelief, "There is no possible way you could have forgotten that quickly!"

"It's not my fault your overall presence is easy to forget." Vali quipped.

"You insolent littl-" Pluto raged before he was interrupted.

_**Enough of this foolishness!**_

The sound of Amenominakanushi's booming voice brought Vali and Pluto out of their argument.

_**The Grim Reaper is correct. He did in fact tell you and Issei Hyoudou what his name was.**_

"Don't agree with him!" Vali chided the Shinto Kami, "This isn't even about you!"

_**Then don't be wrong, half-breed.**_

"…" Vali stared blankly at the Shinto Kami, before shaking his head and turning to look at Pluto, "Nope, I refuse to continue this conversation even further. Look, whatever your name is, you already returned the Evil Dragons to the Realm of the Shinigami, so wouldn't it be a bit hypocritical of you to not bring Samael back to Cocytus?"

Despite Vali not being able to see Pluto's face due to his clown mask, he could tell that the Grim Reaper was staring at him with a thoughtful gaze. Finally, the Grim Reaper lifted his scythe up in the air, and slammed it onto the ground.

"Say my name."

"...What." Vali said flatly.

"You heard me." Pluto replied, "Say my name."

"You can't be serious."

"Does this look like a face that exudes any level of jest?" Pluto questioned as he pointed to his clown mask.

Vali, understandably, only gave Pluto a look of complete blankness. Despite the facial expression he was wearing, Vali was slightly bewildered at the situation he was currently in.

'So this is the type of nonsense that Hyoudou goes through on a daily basis, huh?' He mentally commented.

"Was that a trick question, or do you want me to give you a brutally honest answer?" Vali quipped once more, prompting Pluto to shake his fists.

"I will take Samael back to Cocytus on one condition." He began tersely, "And that condition is for you to _say my name_!"

"But you never told us what your name was!" Vali insisted.

"I DID!" Pluto shrieked, his mind on the verge of insanity, "I completely totally did!"

_(He actually did tell us, Vali.)_

"See?!" Pluto exclaimed, "Listen to the Vanishing Dragon!"

"Oh, so now _you're_ agreeing with him, Albion?"

_(Don't insult me, partner. I was just pointing it out.)_

"Well, do you remember what his name was?"

_(…)_

"What about you Welsh Dragon?" Vali called to one of the Dragons sealed in the Vanishing Kusanagi.

_{Nope.}_

"Yamata-no-Orochi?" Vali asked again.

_[…No.]_

"That's what I thought. Because he _never_ told us!" Vali repeated.

"For the last time," Pluto began darkly, "I _did_ tell you! You can ask the Shinto Kami yourself! He said my name!"

At the Grim Reaper's suggestion, Vali turned to look at Amenominakanushi in irritation. When the Shinto Kami made no move to open his mouth or perform any action, the host of the Vanishing Dragon raised an eyebrow.

"Well?"

_**Well what, half-breed?**_

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the comment, Vali pointed to the Grim Reaper standing behind him.

"Did he really tell us what his name was?"

_**Of course he did.**_

"See?!" Pluto shouted, an act which Vali blissfully ignored.

"What's his name then?" Vali questioned Amenominakanushi.

_**Bah! As if I would tell you! Doing so would eliminate any chance of victory I have against you. Besides, even if I wanted to, I cannot.**_

"And why is that?" Vali asked.

_**Frankly, he is not that important enough for his name to be recalled.**_

"WHAT?!" Pluto squealed.

"See?" Vali mocked, "He doesn't even care to remember what your name is either, regardless whether you said it or not. So wouldn't that give you enough incentive to take Samael back?"

"NO!" Pluto shouted before he gripped his scythe in a tight fashion, "You know what?!"

He didn't deserve any of this humiliation! He was an Ultimate-Class Grim Reaper for Hades' sake!

His trembling figure suddenly stiffening, Pluto turned to look at Amenominakanushi. He placed his scythe in his other hand, and used his free hand to point to the Shinto Kami.

"You know what? Go ahead." He said in a seemingly casual tone, "Join with Samael."

Vali's eyes widened as he stared at the Grim Reaper in disbelief.

_**Excellent! Now victory will be in my eternal grasp!**_

"…Have fun with that." Pluto replied blankly before he tapped his scythe on the ground once more.

"You're making a huge mistake." Vali warned him ominously, to which Pluto ignored.

The overwhelming urge to divide Pluto into nothingness immediately came back. Narrowing his eyes, Vali clenched his fists.

"I swear when all of this is over, I'm going to find you." Vali quietly threatened, "And when I find you, I'm going to halve you until you completely vanish from existence."

"What's stopping you from doing it now?" Pluto challenged derisively.

"What's stopping me is the fact that you're not worth wasting energ-"

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

At the sound of Samael's booming roar, both Pluto and Vali turned their heads to look at the Dragon Eater. Pluto then pointed his scythe towards Vali.

"Yeah, let's see how _that_ turns out after Samael is done consuming your flesh." He said mockingly, prompting Vali to glare at him.

"Why you-!"

Vali's reply was cut off when a portal suddenly manifested from under Pluto, causing the smug Grim Reaper to quickly descend down into the vortex.

Following Pluto's recent departure, the atmosphere of the arena of the Underworld was rendered silent.

Vali at this point was steaming with barely suppressed rage.

_**So…it all comes down to this.**_

His irritation rising even further, Vali set his sights over to the smug-looking Amenominakanushi, whose hand was placed on Samael's side. A stream of energy began to flow around the figures of the Shinto Kami and the Dragon Eater.

_{You are making a terrible error, Amenominakanushi.}_

Both Vali's and Amenominakanushi's attention became drawn to the voice emitting from the Vanishing Kusanagi.

_**Oh? And how do you figure that, Welsh Dragon?**_

_{You are truly delusional if you honestly believe you can control the power of Samael.}_

_**Humph. Then watch me!**_

_(Vali.)_

Vali was silent for a moment, before he nodded wordlessly.

'I know.' He mentally replied as his body began to glow with a bright silver aura.

This did not go unnoticed by Amenominakanushi who continued to amalgamate his energy with Samael. The Shinto Kami was silent as he watched the host of the Vanishing Dragon place his arms on his shoulders.

'_**What is this fool doing?'**_

"Initially, I was planning to use this form against Issei Hyoudou in a one-on-one match between the two of us." Vali stated, "But I guess you'll do."

_**Humph. You are being very confident for someone who, moments ago, was trying to convince the Grim Reaper to take Samael back to Cocytus.**_

Vali kept his mouth shut as he felt the vast power of Albion course through his veins. At this point, it was all or nothing.

_{TRANSFER!}_

Both Vali's and Amenominakanushi's eyes widened at the sound of Ddraig's voice. The descendant of Lucifer turned around to see the Vanishing Kusanagi glowing with a silver aura. The sword suddenly dissolved and divided into two weapons; the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon.

'What's happening?'

In a sudden quick movement of agility, the energy from the Blade of the Vanishing Dragon burst towards Vali, who went to move away.

_{Vali, stop!}_

At Ddraig's command, Vali hesitantly stopped, wondering what the Welsh Dragon was doing.

"What do you think you're doing, Welsh Dragon?" Vali asked, his tone almost incredulous.

_(Yes, what are you doing, Ddraig?)_

_{What does it look like, Albion? I'm returning the other half of your soul to you!}_

_(…YOU'RE WHAT?!)_

_{Albion, your host has always stated that he refuses to use any other weapon besides his demonic power and your abilities. So I am giving back to him the portion of your soul that was encased with me and the Yamata-no-Orochi!}_

_(Ddraig y-you…what about Issei Hyoudou?)_

_{I cannot sense where my host is at the moment. But that does not mean I cannot be of any help!}_

Vali could only stare at the now dormant Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in shock and awe.

_{So Vali Lucifer, take back the power that once belonged to you!}_

* * *

><p><strong>Azazel's Mansion – Living Room<strong>

With the absence of Azazel; along with his whereabouts currently unknown, the Fallen Angel trio had taken the initiative to occupy themselves for the time being.

"It's your turn, Kalawarner."

"Were you planning to go somewhere soon, Dohnaseek?"

"No."

"Then don't rush me. Just give me a second to think."

"UNO doesn't require that much thinking, Kalawarner. Just put down a damn card already!"

Fallen Angel Kalawarner scowled irritably as she looked down at the cards in her hands. She was starting to regret not accompanying Asia on her search to find Azazel. As much as she tolerated Dohnaseek, there was only so much of him she could actually stand.

"What's taking Asia so long?"

Kalawarner turned around to see Raynare lying on the couch with her arms behind her head. Despite the look of utter boredom on her face, her expression betrayed the slight worry in her voice.

"She should've been back by now." Raynare continued before her eyes trailed over to Kalawarner and Dohnaseek, "You think she's found Azazel-sama yet?"

"The girl said she would call us if she did." Dohnaseek gruffly reminded before turning to look at Kalawarner, "Hurry up, will ya?"

The aforementioned Fallen Angel's scowl returned as she selected a random card from her hand, and angrily slammed it down on the table.

"Here! Now it's your damn turn!"

Raising an eyebrow, Dohnaseek peered down at the card, and looked back up at Kalawarner with a blank stare. Kalawarner, increasingly growing irritated with her comrade, shot him a glare.

"What?!"

"It's your turn again." Dohnaseek droned.

"No it's no-" Kalawarner started before Dohnaseek picked up the card and showed it to her.

The card contained a picture of two arrows that pointed opposite to each other.

"You put down a reverse card." Dohnaseek explained before he placed the card back down, "It's your turn again."

Too annoyed to argue with Dohnaseek, Kalawarner sighed as she looked at her deck. The expression on her face quickly changed to one of aloofness as she nonchalantly selected a card with a black background, and set it down.

"Draw four." She uttered, her voice hiding a bit of her haughty tone.

Almost immediately, Kalawarner felt a wave of annoyance creep up when she saw Dohnaseek smirk at her in return. Looking entirely proud of himself, the male Fallen Angel lightly placed his card on the table.

"Draw eight!" He yelled smugly.

"Draw ten." Kalawarner casually replied as she placed a 'draw two' card in return.

"…" Dohnaseek stared at the card in surprise for a moment, before coming back to reality, "No."

"What do you mean 'no'?" Kalawarner repeated in confusion.

"You can't do that." Dohnaseek reiterated, "You can't place a 'draw two' card over a 'draw four' card."

"Since when?!" Kalawarner exclaimed incredulously.

"Hey, I don't make the rules." Dohnaseek scoffed, "I just conjure them up in my head and state them out loud as I see fit."

"…You're an idiot." Kalawarner deadpanned.

_RING RING_

Whatever reply Dohnaseek was going to utter was soon cut off by the sound of the vibrating phone on the table.

"That's probably Asia!" Raynare said excitedly as she sprang up from the couch.

All three of the Fallen Angels gathered around the table as the male of the trio clicked the answer and speaker buttons.

"_Yo_." A casual voice rang out.

The eyes of the Fallen Angel trio widened in surprise at the familiar voice.

"Azazel-sama?!" They exclaimed simultaneously.

"_That's my name, don't wear it out_." Azazel drawled.

"What happened to you?" Kalawarner asked, "You've been missing for almost two weeks!"

"Weren't you at a tournament or something?" Dohnaseek asked.

"_Well, Kalawarner,_" Azazel began in a wry tone, "_It has been two weeks since you guys last heard from me. And yes Dohnaseek, I was at a tournament. A tournament which ended two weeks ago._"

"So where have you been?" Raynare asked before her eyes softened, "And is Asia all right?"

"_Well to answer your second question, Asia's all safe and sound._" Azazel explained, "_As for the first query, I've been on Earth._"

"Earth? But what are you doi-" Kalawarner questioned before being cut off by Azazel.

"I'm sure that you guys have many questions for me, but I'm afraid you're going to have to save them for later."

"Why? Do you have something for us to do?" Raynare inquired.

"_As a matter of fact I do. But it only requires one of you. I need one of you to deliver something for me._"

"A delivery to where?" Kalawarner asked.

"_Mount Kailash_."

"Mount Kailiash?!" The Fallen Angel trio repeated in shock.

"The residence of Shiva?!" Dohnaseek exclaimed, "Why the hell do you want us to go there?!"

"_…What did I just say, Dohnaseek?_"

"A-Azazel-sama," Raynare started in disbelief, "Don't you realize who lives there? Shiva, the _God of Destruction!_"

"_Oh calm down, Raynare._" Azazel replied, "_Just as long as you don't do anything to piss him off, you won't have any trouble. But like I said, the job to deliver what I have to Mount Kailash only requires one of you. So two of you can stay at the mansion._"

The three Fallen Angels stared at each other, their eyes shifting from one to the other.

"_It doesn't really matter to me who goes. Just decide and then we can get started._" Azazel said.

"I nominate Dohnaseek." Raynare quickly decided, prompting Dohnaseek to give her an indignant glare.

"Yeah, I nominate Dohnaseek as well." Kalawarner agreed wholeheartedly.

"Now wait just a goddamn minute!" Dohnaseek retorted angrily, "Why do I have to do it?!"

"Dohnaseek," Kalawarner began, "When was the last time you even exited Azazel-sama's mansion?"

"I'm not obligated to tell you where and when I go out!" Dohnaseek defended himself, "And why don't I get a say in any of this?"

"Because you haven't done a single goddamn thing in over six months." Kalawarner repiled dryly.

"Plus, this could be your chance to actually be important for once in your life." Raynare added rather snidely.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?!" Dohnaseek exclaimed incredulously.

"Let's be honest here, Dohnaseek," Kalawarner started, "You're not exactly known for being active."

"What are you saying?!" The male Fallen Angel shouted, "I'm not lazy!"

"Then how did you become a Fallen Angel? You know laziness is a sin!" Raynare challenged.

"For the last time, it's not a sin, and I did not fall from Heaven because of laziness! Why does the hell does everyone keep saying that about me?!"

"_Because it's true_." Azazel cheerfully quipped from his side of the conversation.

Dohnaseek glowered darkly at his so-called comrades before he looked down to the phone on the table. He inwardly sighed as he rubbed his temples.

"…So just what _am _I delivering to Mount Kailash anyway?"

"_Hahaha._" Azazel chuckled in amusement, "_The Phoenix Tears of course._"

* * *

><p><strong>Please read &amp; review :)<strong>


	58. Something Bad, Something Good: Part 2

**Within the seals of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi**

_[Issssssei!]_

The Yamata-no-Orochi hissed in sadness at the lack of Issei's presence. She hated being separated from her home; the subconscious of her and Ddraig's host. Neither she nor Ddraig could sense Issei, and that fact alone made it hard for her to suppress her distressed hissing.

Ddraig; while more calm than what the Yamata-no-Orochi was currently displaying, floated in silence. While he too was worried about the whereabouts and well-being of his host, the Welsh Dragon kept his cool.

_I think I have an idea. _

The Welsh Dragon's emerald eyes narrowed in thought at his host's words.

_Just hear me out! Look at the size, Ddraig. It's about the size of Albion's jewel. And it carries Grendel's energy. So if I manifested the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi into its armor form, I can-_

Cutting off his train of memory for the moment, Ddraig looked back over to the Yamata-no-Orochi.

_{Fusing the power of an Evil Dragon with an Heavenly Dragon.}_

His emerald eyes narrowed even further, his thoughts mixed from Issei's idea.

_{It worked with the power of the Yamata-no-Orochi. So...could it work with the piece of Grendel's soul? The result makes me doubtful.}_

In annoyance, Ddraig sighed again. With Issei gone, there was no point in testing the theory.

At the moment, it was now up to Vali to deal with Amenominakanushi. While he had grown to respect Albion and his host, Ddraig was slightly worried about what could happen.

Amenominakanushi had succeeded in fusing his essence and power with Samael. Ddraig's eyes narrowed at the thought of the Dragon Eater. The decision to transfer the clone of the Vanishing Dragon back to Vali, was conjured up by both Ddraig and the clone.

To Ddraig's surprise, the clone didn't seem too bothered at the idea of his energy being transported to his original incarnation.

_{Amenominakanushi's power has exponentially increased from his fusion with Samael, so we had no choice but to give Albion the portion of his soul back to him.}_

Ddraig's words caused the Yamata-no-Orochi to stop in her hissing and look over to him. Her golden reptilian eyes narrowed as she glared at him, prompting the Welsh Dragon to send her back a glare.

_[Sssssilence, Welsssh Dragon!]_

_{Calm yourself, Yamata-no-Orochi! Don't think you're the only one who's worried about Issei! There's nothing we can do right now!}_

The Orochi maintained her sharp glare at the Welsh Dragon, her golden orbs of sight glinting with anger and worry. Sensing the turmoil of emotions within the Yamata-no-Orochi, Ddraig grunted with a sigh.

_{All we can do is wait for him to come back. It's up to Albion and his host until then.}_

Maintaining her glare upon the Red Dragon Emperor, the Yamata-no-Orochi scowled and looked away. Gruffly sighing at his only company within the Kusanagi, Ddraig sent his gaze to another section of the sword he was sealed in.

_{Hurry back, partner. Wherever you are.}_

_[Isssssei...]_

* * *

><p><strong>Arena of the Underworld<strong>

Two explosive energies surrounded the ambiance of the Underworld, their vast auras coiling around their owners. The soul of the Vanishing Dragon's clone moved smoothly over to envelop Vali Lucifer, who remained where he was.

'Albion.'

_(I know, Vali.)_

In response, Vali huffed as he allowed the piece of his Dragon's soul to reunite with its original incarnation. In the back of his mind, Vali wondered how much power he would gain from the unification. Regardless, he had to be cautious for this particular fight.

With Amenominakanushi fused with the likeness of Samael, Vali knew that the Shinto Kami had a slight advantage over him. The host of the Vanishing Dragon also knew that he had to make sure to avoid any portions of Samael's blood that could suddenly leak out.

_(Vali. As much as it pains me to say it, it would be wise for you to exclude my power from this fight. You remember what happened when you tried to use my power against Samael's block?)_

"Hmph." Vali suppressed a scoff at his Dragon's words.

Of course he remembered. How could he not? Even with Albion reuniting with his soul, Vali couldn't risk the curse poisoning him and the Vanishing Dragon. So, there was only one thing to do.

He would just have to use his body to physically combat Amenominakanushi.

Vali blinked at the thought. It had been a while since he'd fought without the armor of his Sacred Gear. Right now, the Divine Dividing Sacred Gear would only be a detriment to him.

Plus, he had no intention of trying to absorb his opponent's energy. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if he absorbed the power of a Shinto Kami who possessed the curse of Samael.

His blue eyes narrowing, Vali looked up to see Amenominakanushi absorbing Samael's entire being into himself. The Shinto Kami's form began to change into a monstrous image.

**_Burn this sight into your mind!_**

Amenominakanushi's voice gained a distorted and ghastly edge to it. His shape contorted into a brutish image, his head slowly changing into a elongated skull. Vali watched in disgust as the Shinto Kami suddenly sprouted dual-horns that were black in color. Two more horns erupted in pairs alongside the length of his head. A pair of Asian Dragon wings jutted out from his back and curved upwards, causing him to stand with a slight hunch.

'...Well, that's one image that's not going to go away for a while.' Vali mentally noted.

_**You've no idea of the horrors of what you are about to suffer, Vali Lucifer!**_

Amenominakanushi, now completely fused with the full power of Samael, let out a loud and ominous roar that shook the grounds of the Underworld. Immediately after, the blackish suffocating aura of Samael leaked out from the Shinto Kami.

Grinning widely with crooked teeth, the transformed Amenominakanushi pointed to the host of the Vanishing Dragon.

_**Let me ask you a question, Vanishing Dragon. What is your reason for fighting?**_

"What kind of question is that?" Vali replied with a raise of his eyebrow, "I fight because the world I was born in tends to be rather tiresome."

_**Tiresome? You foolish cross-breed! You're an inhabitant of this world and yet there is so much of the supernatural realm that you are unaware of. So many primordial beings that are far stronger than you could possibly imagine!**_

"If you're trying to frighten me," Vali started, "You're not exactly succeeding."

_**What gives you the impression that I am trying to frighten you? You must have thought about it for some time. Your dream. A dream that has no chance of becoming a reality.**_

Vali raised a cool eyebrow in response. What was the Shinto Kami getting at?

Amenominakanushi maintained his smirk as his elongated skull tilted upwards.

_**Do you recall telling Issei Hyoudou, that if you were unable to find anyone strong enough to combat you, then you would gladly welcome death?**_

"What's your point?"

**_My point is that there are many beings who have power that greatly dwarfs yours._**

"I'm aware of that, Shinto Kami." Vali said, his voice laced with annoyance, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

_**What came before Creation?**_

The host of the Vanishing Dragon rose another eyebrow. Why was Amenominakanushi asking him so many questions? Was he so confident with his fusion with Samael that he was actually humoring himself by conversing with Vali?

"And yet another stupid question." Vali snarked, "The God from the Bible."

_**Very perceptive. And who came before God?**_

This time, Vali's eyes widened a little in surprise. He didn't know the first Kami of Shintoism wielded knowledge regarding the 'Above' Entity.

"The dweller of the Omniverse. The progenitor of Creation itself."

_**And what came before the Omniversal Entity?**_

Vali scowled deeply as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Ok, what are you getting at, Amenominakanushi?" He asked.

_**Think, descendant of Lucifer! What came before the creator of the Omniverse? What predated light?**_

Vali's blue eyes gained a sharp edge to them as he frowned.

_(What is this fool spouting out now?)_

"Nothing existed before light." Vali responded, "So you're not really making any sense."

Amenominakanushi's smirk dissolved into a scowl as he finally retracted his hand to his side.

_**Not nothing, half-devil! DARKNESS!**_

"?!"

_(?!)_

Not even Vali could prevent the surprise on his face from appearing. His blue eyes then narrowed into slits.

"Ok, I think fusing Samael might have caused you to lose whatever brain cells you possibly had. There's no such thing as 'The Darkness'."

_**How can you be so sure?**_

"Because the Omniversal Entity brought the concept of existence. So from that standpoint, nothing could exist before that entity, because in order for it to exist, the entity would've had to have some part in creating it."

_**...Have you ever heard of the term 'Amortality'?**_

"Do you mean 'immortality'?" Vali questioned.

_**No, you fool. Amortality. Despite being a precursor to immortality, Amortality is completely different. It means that something cannot die, because it was never alive to begin with. And yet, one who is amortal is someone that will exist forever.**_

"So you're saying that this so-called 'Darkness' predates even that of the emergence of the Omniversal Entity?" Vali questioned in doubt, "If that's the case, then why hasn't anyone ever mentioned it? Not even the Omniversal Entity has mentioned it _once_."

_**The supernatural world consists of innumerable primordial entities, Vali Lucifer. We primordials manifested into our respective religions so long ago. And we are all aware of each other, as well of the Darkness.**_

"That still doesn't answer my question, Shinto Kami." Vali muttered, "The Angels, Fallen Angels, and the Devils never mentioned the presence of 'The Darkness'."

_**Well, what kind of sane person would ever dare converse about the existence of something as ancient as it? To this day, a majority of the Angels or the Devils are unaware of the amortal being.**_

'...He's lying.' Vali reluctantly deduced, 'He has to be.'

_(It's completely unheard of. The Darkness? It sounds like a myth; or the very least a ominous bedtime story for children. Don't believe a word he is saying to you, Vali.)_

_**So you see, half-breed, your journeys of finding the strongest opponent has come to an end. Because if you stand no chance against the True Dragon and Ouroboros Dragon; let alone the Omniversal Entity, then...well then there's really no point in your life, is there?**_

His blue eyes narrowing, Vali gritted his teeth and flared out the aura of his demonic power. Amenominakanushi closed his mouth in amusement, before he scowled in derision.

Manipulating the power of Samael, the Shinto Kami sped forward and retracted his fist, before moving to push it forward. As he moved his knuckles forward, Amenominakanushi went to attack, only for Vali to suddenly fade away from him.

"Tell me, Shinto Kami." Vali's voice rang out through the Underworld.

The Shinto Kami's eyes widened in shock, before he turned around to see that he was alone.

"Have you ever heard of the one called Rizevim Livan Lucifer?" The voice of the Vanishing Dragon's host spoke again.

_**N-no, I have not!**_

"Good." Vali's voice projected through the ambiance of the realm, "Because I expect to hear the same answer from the next person when I ask them about you."

_**WHA-GAUGHHH!**_

The Kami of Shintoism let out a guttural cry of pain as he felt a powerful fist embed itself into his stomach. Amenominakanushi coughed out a pool of steaming blood, prompting the owner of the fist to immediately retract his limb. With an anguished grunt, Amenominakanushi collapsed on the ground, trying his damnedest to suppress his pain.

Vali flew back away, successfully avoiding the poisonous blood of Samael's curse. His eyes narrowed as he watched the steaming aura of Samael's blood cool off. Scoffing, the host of the Vanishing Dragon looked up at the shocked Amenominakanushi.

_**How?! How?!**_

"That's just the beginning of my comeback, Shinto Kami." Vali coolly threatened.

_**Y-you wretched swine! You should not be this strong! You are not using the power of the Vanishing Dragon armor! So how is this possible?!**_

"It should have occurred to you that just because Hyoudou and I have Dragons, it doesn't mean that they're necessarily our main source of vitality. Even without the power of Albion to aid me, that doesn't make me any less stronger."

Amenominakanushi sent Vali a deep-rooted glare filled with hatred to the very brim.

"And you know what?" Vali started with a smirk, "I think it's about time I up the ante in this fight between us."

_**Up the ante?! What are you talking about?!**_

"Even though it's unfortunate that I can't use Albion; for the time being anyway, I still have another trick up my sleeve. Now let me ask you another question, Amenominakanushi. Have you heard of the golem known as _Gogmagog_?"

Amenominakanushi's eyes widened in shock and confusion.

_**Gogmagog?!**_

The Shinto Kami gritted his teeth and shook a fist at the host of the Vanishing Dragon.

_**You've had a weapon all this time, and yet you have the audacity to bring it out now?! ALL THIS TIME?! You never made such mention about Gogmagog to Issei Hyoudou!**_

"And I suppose you expect me to believe that the moment you arrived to antagonize Issei, you immediately planned to use Samael to attack him?" Vali quipped.

_**Y-YES!**_

"You're actually going to stand there and lie to me with a straight face? Samael wasn't even on your mind when you came in contact with Hyoudou." The descendant of Lucifer deduced, "Otherwise, we wouldn't be here in this situation now."

_**That is not the point! You made no such mention of that accursed golem! No mention at all to the son of Amaterasu or anyone else! How can you justify any of this?!**_

"I-" Vali started, before being interrupted.

_**Where did you even find Gog-**_

"Ok, don't interrupt me again, you worthless excuse for a Kami," Vali nonchalantly replied, causing Amenominakanushi to close and open his mouth like a fish, "It turns out a lot can happen in six months. With Great Red and Ophis occupying themselves with Hyoudou, I set out to the Dimensional Gap to find something that could be useful to me."

_**You mean to tell me you spent six months in the Dimensional Gap trying to find that creature?!**_

"Didn't take me long to find it," Vali said with a shrug of his shoulders, "The reason I didn't tell anyone else about it was simply because it was none of their business."

**_T-that's completely ludicrous!_**

"Really?" Vali rose an eyebrow in disbelief, "This coming from you, Amenominakanushi?"

_**You...you can't just...that's not fair at all!**_

"Pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?" Vali shot back.

_**Why you! I will not stand for this!**_

"Good thing you're laying down on the ground." Vali sneered, prompting the Shinto Kami to gape at him in nettled vexation.

**_Insolent brat!_**

Hiding his smirk, Vali leaned down and placed his left hand on the ground, summoning a burst of silver energy in the form of a magic circle.

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

Amenominakanushi gasped in shock as he watched a gigantic stream of energy in shape of a statue, spread out from the magic circle. Tearing his eyes away from the bright energy, Vali sent his opponent a smirk.

'This should be enough to stall him.'

His smirk dissolving into a cool frown, Vali clicked his tongue.

'Hurry up, Hyoudou. Wherever you are.'

* * *

><p><strong>'Mind' of the Supernatural World<strong>

"Little shut-in?" The supernatural world gazed at Issei with a concerned look on her face, wondering what on Earth was going on in the child of Shinto's mind.

Although she anticipated Issei being a bit tense and uncomfortable from her unexpected presence, she didn't expect for him to be this nervous.

The young man didn't even know who he was talking to yet, so there was no reason for him to be so anxious around her.

She had chosen the form of Leiko Hyoudou in order to converse with Issei and make him comfortable. But the attempt didn't seem to be working as much as the supernatural world hoped it would. She still remembered Amenominakanushi's previous use of Leiko Hyoudou's form; so maybe that was why Issei looked so uneasy.

'Perhaps I should not have taken Leiko Hyoudou's form.' She deduced in her consciousness, 'Or at least a form similar to hers.'

The supernatural world didn't mean to make her 'little shut-in' nervous. That was the least of her intentions. Even if she had chosen Leiko Hyoudou's form, the supernatural world greatly desired to converse with the child of Shinto.

She wanted to thank him for separating her 'consciousness' from the mind of Izanami-no-Mikoto. For so long, her power had been manipulated and misused by the Shinto Goddess. For so long, she had 'existed' without possessing a mind or will of her own.

But her dear 'little shut-in' had changed all that. He had freed her from Izanami's control.

He had_ saved _her_!_

But with Issei in the state he was now, the supernatural world doubted that attempting to express her gratitude for him would ever be a possibility.

In the midst of her thoughts, the supernatural world lifted her eyes to see her 'little shut-in' with his back turned to her. Although she couldn't see it, she could tell the child of Shinto was slowly trying to keep himself under control.

Pursing her lips, the supernatural world opened her mouth to speak gently to the young man, hoping that he would at least respond to her.

"Little shut-in?" She asked quietly.

Issei didn't turn around, not wanting to respond to the shape-shifter using his cousin's form and voice.

Her eyes widening a little at Issei's lack of response, the supernatural world took a step forward and tilted her head. Her eyes then softened as her expression grew warm.

"Do you not like this form?" The supernatural world asked him, "I chose it so I could communicate with you. To make you feel safe."

"..." Issei still didn't respond.

"This form does not comfort you? If so..." The supernatural world tried again, her eyes looking away from Issei, "What form would you prefer?"

She would gladly take whatever shape her 'little shut-in' suggested to her, as long as it made Issei feel comfortable around her presence. She already had the misfortune of knowing that the child of Shinto wanted to stay away from her.

"Someone I've never seen before."

The supernatural world's eyes widened at the sound of Issei's words. His back was still turned to her, but the supernatural world felt a slight uplift of happiness at the son of Amaterasu's response. The happiness soon faded to contemplation as her eyes narrowed.

'Someone who he's never seen before?'

The supernatural world searched and explored through the memories she gathered during her fusion with the mind of Izanami-no-Mikoto. She frowned when she realized that Issei already knew most of the creatures that had dwelled upon her for over millenia.

So the form she chose would have to be something or someone that Issei wouldn't recognize. At the thought, the supernatural world adopted another smile.

Closing her eyes, the supernatural world summoned a milky-white orange aura of energy that spiraled around her. Very slowly, her body began to physically change; her entire being shifting into a brand new incarnation.

As the supernatural world continued to morph into its second form, Issei stood with his back turned. His eyes were closed in deep contemplation as he tried to think of what to do.

He had already given up on trying to figure out who the woman was. As much as it bothered him, he didn't have time to discover the woman's identity.

He had to find some way to get out of the realm the voice had trapped him in. Every second he was trapped, the Earth was growing colder and colder. The Solar deities were growing weaker; the source of their powers nonexistent. Hell, even Vali...

While he had full confidence in his rival's abilities, Issei couldn't help the worry that rang through his mind. With both Samael and Amenominakanushi on the offensive, Issei was unsure if Vali would be able to handle the two of them.

And Ophis...

The image of the Ouroboros Dragon manifested in Issei's mind; her dark-gray eyes gazing at him with an unreadable expression. The son of Amaterasu felt his body tense at the thought of the Infinite Dragon God.

Clenching his fists, Issei inwardly grunted as he focused his mind to the matter at hand.

Neither Ddraig, the Yamata-no-Orochi, nor the clone of Albion were with him. The jewel that had been constructed from the scales of Grendel was still at the arena of the Underworld. He had no weapons; nothing to defend himself with.

Issei remained in his spot as he waited for the bright energy to fade away.

He no longer had the power to summon any black holes anymore either. He still didn't know why that ability of his was suddenly negated to the point that he couldn't even use it. He had the fleeting suspicion that the woman had something do with that.

If that was the case, then the woman really wanted to keep, or rather _trap _him in this realm. If she had the power to negate whatever ability he had in his disposal, and to prevent him from leaving this realm, then this woman had intentions that were far less innocent that he had imagined.

But regardless, if he didn't have the power to get out of this realm, then he had to somehow convince the woman to let him go. He dreaded how difficult it was going to be. The woman seemed so adamant about keeping him in this realm, but Issei had no intention of staying.

How was he going to convince her?

"Little shut-in."

The sound of a different voice brought Issei out of his thoughts. He relaxed slightly, relieved to know that the voice of his older cousin no longer reached his ears. He hoped that by the time this whole mess was over, he would still have the mindset to be able to interact with Leiko on a normal basis.

Sighing inwardly, Issei turned around, and his eyes widened at the sight in front of him.

The first thing Issei noticed was that the voice had maintained its decision to take upon a feminine form. The shape it took no longer had any physical traces of Leiko Hyoudou, a fact that brought solace to the young man.

The voice had taken the form of a mature fair-skinned woman with pronounced cheek bones and light blue eyes. Her dark-black hair was fashioned in an up-do style with a wide braided knot in the back, and one curl of her hair hanging down on the left side of her face.

She was dressed in a starched collared blouse with a black brooch under her throat. Another sort of her attire was a high waisted ankle-lengthed skirt, and a croak lengthened jacket with puffed shoulders and dark lapels. She also wore black ankle boots with a sharp toe and tapered heels.

Issei's eyes trailed slowly from up to down to the rest of the woman's appearance, noticing the arched eyebrows, and her eyes being emphasized by the icy-blue eye-shadow color on both eyelids. Her lips; which were colored with the shade of blood-crimson red, curved upwards into a smug smile.

In its second female incarnation, the supernatural world shot her astonished 'little shut-in' a wide smile. She was pleased to see that Issei was finally looking at her with an expression that carried no signs of anxiety or nervousness. Although there was still a cautious look on the child of Shinto's face, the supernatural world still kept her smile.

"Does this body bring you at ease, little shu-" The supernatural world began.

"Wait." Issei spoke, prompting the woman to pause in her words.

The woman gave him a questioning yet patient look, her icy blue eyes gazing at him directly. Issei saw that the woman's eyes were looking at him and_ only him_.

Issei went to open his mouth, until he quickly closed it shut. He wasn't really someone who could be called a shut-in anymore; or at least that was how Issei viewed himself now. He voluntarily left his house multiple times, and met new people while occasionally interacting with them.

He had changed.

...Hadn't he?

Brushing off his nervousness from the woman's intense gaze, Issei adopted a light frown.

"Please don't call me that anymore." He said.

The supernatural world adopted an inquisitive look at the Shinto child's request. A sense of curiosity and confusion wavered over her mind as she tilted her head.

"You do not like my pet name for you?" She asked in interest.

Inwardly sighing as he reluctantly chose his words carefully, Issei looked over at the woman; who was still staring at him with her wide icy-blue eyes.

"Being called a shut-in isn't really..." Issei's words trailed off as his frown deepened into a look of suppressed melancholy, "something to be taken positively."

The supernatural world's curious look disappeared as her blue eyes slowly shifted away from their target. Seconds later, her eyes trailed back over to Issei, and she recovered her smile, her lips emphasized from their blood-crimson shade.

"If you like." She replied with a faltering smile, batting her eyelashes at him.

The supernatural world felt a wave of disappointment within her consciousness. Referring to the child of Shinto as her 'little shut-in' was not as original as she had thought.

"Then what shall my name of affection be for you?" She questioned with a mused tone.

"Just 'Issei' is fine." Issei emphasized after shaking his head in response.

He didn't need any more pet names or nicknames at the moment. He'd had enough of those already.

The woman didn't seem to hear his reply as she continued to stare at him. Issei started to get the feeling that the new incarnation of this woman seemed to be far more subdued than how she was before. And yet he still didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

The woman's gaze on him was something that could be only described as predatory. Her aura was vast and overwhelming enough to completely envelop him, almost as though she herself wanted to devour and consume him.

Given that she had forcefully kissed him earlier, the devouring and consuming part might not have been too far off.

The supernatural world gazed at the child of Shinto with a curious expression. If Issei didn't like being referred to as a 'shut-in', then what could she call him? She was aware of the nicknames the other primordial entities had given him, due to being the very embodiment of the innumerable realms of the otherworld.

The supernatural world was a physically colossal and ancient primordial force that had emerged the very moment the Omniversal Entity brought the concept of Creation into fruition. All of the aspects of Heaven and Hell, as well as Purgatory, Death's Domain, and all of the other realms, were part of the supernatural world. The realms drew their stability and ambiance from the supernatural world herself.

Her expression grew calculating as her mind drifted off to another thought. It was true that she was essentially the embodiment of every realm of the otherworld. Which meant that no matter what realm Issei went to; Heaven or Hell or anywhere else, she would still be able to see him.

She would still be able to...

_Hold him..._

_Devour him..._

_Consume him..._

_Smother him..._

_Kiss him..._

_TRAP him!_

Every realm he traveled to, she would always be there! No matter how far away he was; no matter how dormant his energy was, she would still be near him!

_Issei Hyoudou._

_The child who always travels...but never stays._

The supernatural world's icy-blue eyes widened as her blood-crimson lips opened. The action did not go unnoticed by Issei, who raised an eyebrow in cautiousness and curiosity.

'The child who always travels...' The supernatural world deduced in her consciousness, 'But never stays!'

She couldn't believe that she hadn't thought about that!

Everyone who had ever come in contact with Issei, knew that although he tended to keep to himself and wanted to have a normal life, his power and Shinto heritage prevented that from ever happening. He unintentionally and inevitably drew attention from the supernatural world and its dwellers.

The child of Shinto resided on Earth for almost eighteen years, and yet it wasn't his true home. Also, his origin was tied with the supernatural world; so from that standpoint he belonged to the supernatural world as well.

_I'm the Solar God that was born and raised on Earth! But even if that's true, you've always been the home of Shinto heritage. Which also means that you're my home too!_

The supernatural world's two hearts beat rapidly against her chest; the memory of Issei's words manifesting in her consciousness. As she placed her hand over her chest; her two hearts vibrating even more quickly, her scarlet-blood lips opened to reveal a wide toothy grin.

'He called me his home!' The supernatural world thought rapturously, 'The Earth and I are his home! But he does not stay on either of us indefinitely. He...'

Her train of thought suddenly stopped as her icy-blue eyes widened. Seconds later, the supernatural world locked her eyes with Issei; who was a bit surprised from the woman's continuing range of expressions.

The supernatural world suddenly moved forward and pressed her body against Issei, causing the Solar God to tense at the unexpected contact. Before Issei could react to even think of what to do, he felt a pair of scorching lips peck themselves on his cheek.

_SMOOCH_

Issei looked on in surprise as the woman leaned back a little, although she was still close enough to plant another kiss on any part of his face.

_SMOOCH_

Which she did with gusto!

The supernatural world leaned her face forward and gently pressed her lips to the tip of Issei's nose.

_SMOOCH_

_SMOOCH_

_SMOOCH_

As soon as she removed her lips from Issei's nose, the supernatural world revealed a smug smirk as she moved her lips to the Shinto child's ear, and crooned in a sweet and low whisper.

"Visitor~~"

Issei's mind came back to reality in response to the woman's word. His brown eyes widened in surprise as the woman batted her eyelashes at him.

"Wh..." Issei hesitantly replied, "Why did you..."

He was too surprised to even finish his sentence. His surprise increased even further when the woman lifted her index and middle fingers up to her lips, and spread them across her mouth.

Issei watched as the color of the woman's lips changed to an even more darker shade of blood. She then sucked in her lips and smacked them, allowing Issei to hear a literal 'popping' sound from her mouth.

The supernatural world then looked directly at Issei, and sent him a smile.

"My sweet lovely _visitor_." The supernatural world purred.

'Visitor?' Issei repeated in his thoughts.

Why did the woman just call him her 'visitor'? He already told her that he'd never once seen or heard of her. He cursed himself for not figuring out who she was yet.

The supernatural world maintained her smile as she continued to gaze affectionately at her adorable _visitor_.

Yes. Visitor.

It was such a lovely name for the child of Shinto. He never stayed in one single area. He always moved about, whether or not it was out of his own volition.

'He never stays. He only moves.' The supernatural world mentally said to herself.

The supernatural world moved her hand up to touch her lips; savoring the scent and taste of Issei's skin. As she inhaled the scent, her blue eyes widened as she had forgotten something about her visitor.

'His body.' She said worryingly in her consciousness, 'His body is still unstable from the result of melding his soul with the black hole. My visitor. He is in pain.'

_I have to defeat this guy! And judging by how many times you've tried to keep me in your clutches, you'd want me to come back to this world, right? Well, I can't do that because this guy's planning to kill me! So I ask only this of you! Please help me! I have to beat him!_

The supernatural world held in a longing sigh at the memory of Issei's words. Even though her sweet, sweet visitor was in so much pain, he still showed signs of determination. He didn't care about his own well-being; an observation that only deepened the affection the supernatural world held for her little visitor. However, that trait of Issei confused the manifested world as well. Issei only cared about what happened to the people of Earth and the welfare of the people that were close to him. But rarely was he concerned about himself.

The behavior of Issei Hyoudou was strange, but that was why he was _her_ visitor.

The supernatural world's blue eyes became half-lidded as she gazed at the confused Issei with a calculating stare. Yes, she would help her visitor. But not yet of course. He had to earn her help.

A smile slowly crept from the supernatural world's blood-crimson lips as she walked towards Issei, who remained in his spot. Her smile widened as she walked circles around Issei, gaining a desire to goad and tease her sweet visitor into discovering her identity.

"What's wrong, my dear visitor?" The supernatural world crooned, making sure to emphasize her newly-created nickname for Issei, "Do you still not know who I am?"

Issei never moved an inch and kept his mouth shut; which was something the supernatural world predicted. While she knew her visitor was naive, she also knew that Issei wasn't stupid. She would just have to give him a few hints to who she was.

The supernatural world felt excitement rush through her body; her anticipation of her sweet visitor's reaction clouding her consciousness. She wanted to see the adorably shocked look that would appear on Issei's face if he ever found out.

"Oh, my sweet, sweet visitor." The supernatural world murmured coquettishly, "After all this time, didn't you ever think I'd find my way to you one day? I've waited so long for you to visit me."

The ancient embodiment of the other-world smiled as she watched Issei's change of expression. The supernatural world continued to goad her visitor, her excitement growing to the point of elation. Her scarlet lips opened to reveal a predatory grin, bringing Issei a sudden chill in his spine.

At the look on her visitor's face, the supernatural world's teeth gleamed.

"Are you still pondering?" She questioned, "Oh my dear visitor, you still haven't figured it out yet?"

As she resumed walking in circles around Issei, the supernatural world leaned her body closer to him.

"You'll be surprised~~" Her voice taking on a cooing, singing tone, "I've got a special gift for you if you figure it out."

Issei's eyes widened at the woman's last sentence.

'A gift for me? What kind of gift does she mean?'

Issei racked his brain and tried to decipher what the woman's hints meant.

'Visitor?'

The supernatural world kept her smile and leaned in to plant another kiss on Issei's cheek, causing the Solar God to flinch.

_SMOOCH_

"?!"

The supernatural world giggled at Issei's reaction, and she kept her pace. She let another giggle escape as she noticed that the lipstick marks on Issei's face retained their vivid color.

"Why do you keep kissing me?" Issei finally responded as he rubbed his cheek, barely erasing the color from the woman's lipstick marks.

The supernatural world revealed a smug smirk and smacked her lips again, making Issei think she was going to try and kiss him again.

"I told you that there was no one in the entire Universe and beyond that loves you more than I do." The supernatural world said, her smile seemingly disappearing into an amused smirk.

"..." Issei didn't know how to respond.

"And besides," The supernatural world airily continued as she stopped in her pace, leaning her face forward to Issei's, "Every time you stepped upon the grounds of the Underworld, or even the grounds of Heaven, I felt such bliss. But whenever you left, it only made me yearn more for you. You always leave, my little visitor. You never stay."

It was at that moment, the child of Shinto began to realize something ominously foreboding. His eyes widened in shock, while his jaw almost dropped.

'Always leaving. Never staying. Visito-'

Issei's train of thought was cut off as his breath hitched in his throat.

'No! No way! It can't be! She's the...'

He had to be hallucinating! Dreaming, or something! It just wasn't possible!

'She's the...' Issei tried to finish what his mind was telling him.

The supernatural world smiled again as she saw the look on Issei's face. Her little visitor really wasn't stupid as most people said he was.

"Do you know who I am, my dear visitor?" The supernatural world inquired, her voice taking on a silky tone.

Issei closed his mouth and swallowed a lump in his throat. He shuddered as icy-blue eyes now stared at him with a calculated yet intense gaze.

"Who am I, Issei?" The woman whispered with passionate anticipation in her words.

"You're..." Issei all but gasped, with a shudder of his voice, "y-you're the...you're the supernatural world!"

The supernatural world immediately let her cool facade burst away, and with a energized rush of pure euphoria, she quickly leaned over to envelop Issei's face with her lips once more. Like last time, Issei felt himself unable to move. The woman's second body seemed to have a stronger hold on him.

When her acts of affection finally ended, the supernatural world released a elated sigh and took a few steps back, gazing lovingly and longingly at Issei, who could only stare back at her with a combination of awe and shock on his face.

Everyone had always said that the supernatural world was obsessed with him, as though the world itself wanted him to stay. Never in his life did he ever think it was true. He didn't want to believe it; lord knows he didn't want to be thinking about it now, but there was literally nothing to contradict his thoughts.

The woman standing right in front of him; the woman who had kissed him; was the female embodiment of the **S****_upernatural World_!**

Issei literally didn't know how to handle the situation. He had so many questions! First, how was the supernatural; a vast world, standing right in front of him? Second, why was it so obsessed with him? And lastly, _why_ did it take the form of a mature female?!

The supernatural world smiled in utmost glee at the look on her little visitor's face. Her smile widening, she kissed the shell-shocked Issei on the tip of his nose again, bringing him out of his stupor.

"I _love_ it when you use my name." The supernatural world cooed before batting her eyelashes at him, "Please say it again."

"U-um...s-supernatural?" Issei hesitantly replied.

The supernatural world released another smile of satisfaction before puckering out her lips.

Issei immediately covered his face again to avoid any more of the manifested world's kisses. He waited in anticipation for her attack.

"..."

When nothing happened, Issei reluctantly moved his arms from his face just in time to see the supernatural world emit a milky-white rainbow colored stream of energy from out of her lips. With a soft blow of breath, she pushed the flow of energy towards Issei, who moved back as the energy clung onto him.

Sensing and seeing the panic on her little visitor's face, the supernatural world merely smiled and tilted her head.

"I said I had a gift for you, my dear visitor." She cooed sweetly.

"W-what?" Issei cursed himself for hesitating in his words, "What do you mean? Why are you giving me a gift?"

The smile on the supernatural world's face suddenly disappeared, and her icy-blue eyes softened into a warm gaze with clear and ever-increasing affection. She could feel it. Her excessive fondness and love for the Shinto child vastly growing the longer he was in her presence.

"You _saved_ me." The supernatural world stated softly.

'Saved you?' The young man thought in his head.

Issei felt a wave of confusion from the supernatural world's response. He looked down, and his eyes widened. His body was glowing brightly, with his clothes illuminating as well. His eyes widening further, Issei lifted his hands up to see streams of energy radiating off from them. He could feel his entire body heating up, and not in a pleasant way.

The supernatural world was silent as she watched her energy coil around Issei. Her little visitor was kind enough and not afraid to ask her for help, a fact that she admired him for.

'This is my gift to you, my sweet little visitor.' She thought, 'A newly-regenerated purified body.'

At that moment, the intense surge of overwhelming euphoria transcended the supernatural world's thoughts. Deep within her consciousness, the urge to kiss the child of Shinto grew stronger and stronger. More thoughts that consisted of smothering her visitor expanded in her consciousness.

Her eyelids fluttered closed; the blissful thoughts of _devouring_ her little visitor flourishing to a massive degree.

As she continued to watch her energy streams radiate off of Issei's body, the supernatural world's stare became predatory once more, her blue eyes darkening. In the back of her mind, she knew that soon, her visitor was going to be in a overwhelming amount of pain.

She could hear it now. Her _sweet_, _sweet_ visitor screaming in absolute agony.

The supernatural world shivered in pleasure at the thought. It would be so _wonderful_. Her visitor would scream and burn and rise from the ashes, stronger than ever before, because Issei was hers.

Issei was _her_ visitor.

The supernatural world's blood-scarlet lips darkened in color as her predatory gaze upon Issei intensified.

Hers and hers alone.

**Been a while since I've written on this site. Gotta say, it's good to be back.**

**On a side note, have any of you readers heard of the British science-fiction show called Doctor Who? I based the _supernatural's_ appearance on Missy; the female incarnation of The Master, played by Michelle Gomez. Specifically her Season 8 look. Or for the readers who have seen Gotham; specifically the episode "A Bitter Pill to Swallow", can interpret the supernatural world's physical form to be similar to the character _The Lady._**

_**Please read & review :)**_


	59. The Supernatural World & Her Visitor

**Warning: A bit of a short chapter. Nothing much happens in this one. ****It is a continuation of the interaction between the supernatural world and Issei.**

**If any readers are worried, please don't be. I'm not trying to slow down the plot.**

**Hope you readers enjoy :)**

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><p>"Ah~~~" The supernatural world breathed with ecstasy, "My visitor~."<p>

In hindsight, Issei really should've seen it coming.

The supernatural world; completely sentient and manifested in a female form.

Issei wasn't sure if the signs had been literally throwing themselves at him, but he had more than enough self-deprecation to blame himself for not anticipating it.

His first instinct was to run. To run as far away from this crazy woman as soon as possible. But he knew he wouldn't, no, _couldn't_ get far. In fact, he wouldn't succeed in getting anywhere.

His second instinct was trying to figure out why the hell the supernatural world itself was currently embracing him with its cheek affectionately nuzzling against his own. In a _mature female form_, no less!

As the streams of energy continued to coil around his glowing body, Issei went to take a step, only for him to suddenly collapse onto the seemingly formless ground. Wincing at the painful impact, Issei turned himself over, shifting his weight onto his back. Gritting his teeth, Issei held in his breath as he looked up at the pitch blackness above him.

He heard a heel place itself near him on the ground, prompting him to remember that the female manifestation of the supernatural world was standing above him. As she moved to lean down, Issei looked away.

He'd never felt so helpless in his life. His body tensed when he heard the supernatural release a small giggle.

"Visitor~~" She happily exclaimed, "Visitor, visitor, visitor!"

Issei winced as he felt the supernatural world press her blood-crimson lips to his cheek repeatedly.

_Smooch!_

_Smooch!_

_Smooch!_

At this rate, he was pretty sure that his entire face was painted red from her lipstick marks. Unable to move, his body laid on the ground motionlessly as he watched the manifested world lean her body further down towards him.

The supernatural world smiled as she moved her hand forward and traced a finger over Issei's cheek. Her smile widened at the sight of her sweet visitor shivering at her touch, her finger slowly caressing his cheek gently.

"My visitor~~" She crooned, her warm breath flooding against Issei's skin.

Issei shuddered at the sudden increase in pain of his body. He could feel every organ, his very skin and every _cell_, burning from the inside out.

The supernatural world leaned forward to press another slow kiss to Issei's cheek, and suppressed another giggle at the look on her visitor's face.

Her finger alongside his cheek was cold, but her nails were a different story. Crimson-red, just like her lips.

From Issei's vision, he knows they're extremely sharp. Sharp enough to pierce his skin.

"You look so fragile, Issei." The supernatural world crooned in his ear, "So light and thin."

Her words carried no traces of hatred or malicious cruelty. If anything, they sounded just as excessively affectionate as before.

He could feel the sharpness of her nails on his cheek, and his heart beat rapidly against his chest. He suddenly has the feeling that the female manifested world is going to skin him alive.

"You're so small." The supernatural world airily continues, and Issei _knows_ that her smile is widening, "I could devour you whole, my sweet, sweet visitor."

Issei didn't doubt her claim for a second.

"I could kiss you endlessly," She cooed again, "Hold you, and smother you until you're down to your last breath."

Once again, he doesn't question her statement. After all, she was a vast world with so many countless realms; most of the realms he hadn't even come in contact with yet. That along with the addition of her having a new physical body, made her claim even more plausible.

"My dear visitor," The supernatural world began, her voice low and sweet, "My hearts beat for you only. And your fragile heart belongs to me. Mine to pull out and mine to devour, just so you'll remember that you're mine."

He suddenly felt his body jump in a flinching motion. Not from her possessive and dangerous words, but from her nails. He felt only one of her nails penetrate into his cheek, drawing blood from his skin.

"Ah~~~"

At the sound of the pleasurable release of air from the supernatural world's voice, Issei hesitantly looked up to see her staring at his blood on her index finger. His body tensed up as she suddenly brought her finger to her lips. As the blood dripped down her throat, the supernatural world released another moan of bliss.

Issei's brown eyes widened, and he tried with all his might to look away. His body was burning from the inside out, while the pain was starting to get to him.

The manifested world smiled as she gazed upon her visitor. Despite the expression on her face, the supernatural world felt her consciousness spinning from the taste of the Shinto child's blood. A grin split her crimson-red lips apart, white teeth stark against her lipstick as she reached to bring another drop of her visitor's blood to her mouth.

A part of her wanted to rip and devour her visitor's delicate flesh; to see him bathed entirely within a pool of glorious crimson.

"I can't stay here." Issei muttered to himself.

The supernatural world's smile disappeared as she tilted her head.

What did her visitor mean?

"I have to get out of here." Issei emphasized, his voice barely audible, "I have to save everyone."

He felt the supernatural world's body shake as she held in another giggle.

"Oh, dear visitor." She purred, "What makes you think that I would ever give you back? That I would ever let you go? You're mine, Issei. Just as you've always been."

The feeling of amusement smoldered in her consciousness, her smile widening in an attempt to suppress her giggling. Her visitor was so naive.

But oh was he _precious_.

"But what about everyone else?" Issei insisted before he continued, "The ones that live on this world; on you. Aren't you worried? Don't you care about them?"

The supernatural world moved her crimson lips next to his ear and she hissed.

"No."

"?!"

A shiver rushed through Issei's body from her blunt statement.

"I am the dwelling of the mythological creatures, my sweet, sweet visitor." The supernatural world continued, "But that doesn't mean I love the beings that reside upon me."

He felt her lips reach closer to his ear, and he's almost frightened of her next words.

"Only _you_."

But why?! There was nothing, absolutely nothing interesting or spectacular about him!

"I will never let you go, Issei."

He hears it now. The possessive tone, and the underlying threat in her voice. Which makes him more determined to get out of here.

But what was he supposed to do? There had to be at least one way to convince her.

Issei scowled as he gritted his teeth.

He had to think of _something_! If he was able to find a way to escape a black hole and keep his soul intact, then he could certainly convince a sentient world with a possessive streak to let him go.

Right?

'...'

Oh, who was he kidding?

"Oh, _honey_."

Did the supernatural world just call him _'honey'_?

"Who _are_ you kidding, indeed?"

He didn't know how it was possible, but he could _feel_ her smiling. It was a smug one too.

"Just stay here, Issei dearest." She whispered, her voice soft and velvety, "Stay, my sweet visitor."

Issei scowled again as he spotted the streams of energy on his body glowing more vibrant.

Come on! He needed to think! He'd managed to come up with off-the-dime plans before! He could do it aga-!

Wait! What did the supernatural world just say to him?

_Stay, my sweet visitor._

The cogs in Issei's head started to turn. Would it work? Sure, he was going to abuse his literal-mindedness for all it was worth, but it was worth a shot, right?

"Do you really want me to stay?" He asked, prompting the supernatural world to tilt her head at his sudden question.

"Yes." She replied slowly.

"Then that wouldn't make sense." Issei continued.

For the second time since she had gained a physical body, the supernatural world frowned. What was her visitor getting at?

"What doesn't make sense?"

"A visitor is someone who travels to a place for a short time." Issei began, trying to keep himself composed, "So how can I be a visitor if you're trying to get me to stay in this realm?"

Once again, he knew he was exploiting his tendency to be literal-minded, but what else could he do? Besides, weren't _staying _and _visiting _two different things?

Even though he's not looking at her, he can _feel_ the supernatural world staring at him intensely. She isn't smiling anymore, a fact that greatly unsettles him.

"Issei."

Her voice is suddenly cold as ice, and it makes his body tense. His thoughts quickly die in his mind, almost afraid that he'll think or say something even more idiotic.

"Do you take me for a fool, Issei-dearest?" She asked him, her voice eerily calm.

He doesn't answer.

"Do you?" The supernatural world repeated, her voice empty.

Once again, he remains silent. He's naive, but he's not stupid. On the other hand, maybe evoking his literal-mindedness wasn't such a smart idea after all.

Damn it! What the hell was he supposed to do?!

There was suddenly a lack of oxygen in the air to breathe from, prompting Issei's eyes to widen. He couldn't breathe!

The overwhelming power of the supernatural world! She was actually suffocating him!

"I won't let anyone else have you." The supernatural world continued, "It doesn't matter if you remain a visitor or the opposite of one, you're still mine."

He could hear her voice losing its calmness. It was becoming low and ominous.

"You're _mine_, Issei." She adamantly stated, "You've belonged to me from the very beginning; since the day you were born. Not to Earth and its mortals, or to the dwellers that reside upon me. But to me."

She remembered that he had called her his home. The moment he had said that, the upheaval of overwhelming ecstasy had become the dominant emotion in her consciousness.

And yet, yet...

He had called both her and the _Earth_ his home. At the time, she had been happy to be acknowledged as the Shinto child's home. But why couldn't her visitor just see her as his _only _home? The home that loved him excessively, and would be more than elated to hold him close.

The Earth certainly couldn't do that to her precious visitor. The supernatural world never learned how to share, and she had no intention of learning anytime soon.

'Please.'

The supernatural world's eyes widened a bit at her visitor's telepathic words.

'Just let me go.'

Her blue eyes narrowing, the manifested world reached for Issei and drew his body closer to hers, and nuzzled her chin above his head.

"Don't be ridiculous, love." She replied, "You're mine, why would I ever let you go?"

Issei shut his eyes in defiance, trying desperately to block out her voice. But it didn't work. He could still see the image that he was trying to avoid: scarlet lipstick, predatory blue eyes, and dark-black hair.

'Everyone on Earth,' Issei mentally began, 'And everyone that lives upon you, they're not saf-'

The supernatural world blocked the rest of the words her visitor was about to say. Her body bristled from the emotion she was currently feeling. Her pulse thrashed through her veins, her consciousness being filled to the brim with rampant thoughts.

No, no. This wouldn't do. This would not do at all. Issei was hers. Her sweet, sweet Visitor belonged to her.

"Why won't you let me have you, Issei?" The supernatural world spoke, her tone darkening, "You belong to me, and if I cannot have you-"

"You'll kill me?"

In an instant, the threatening look on the supernatural world's face vanished upon hearing Issei's words. Her icy-blue eyes widened, as a small gasp escaped her crimson lips.

What did her visitor just say?

Issei inwardly released a deep breath as the suffocating aura disappeared. While relieved that he could breathe again, the frown on his face spelled out his feelings perfectly.

Despite his interruption, he knew exactly what the supernatural world was about to say. She didn't even have to finish it. He knew what the phrase was, and what she meant by it. He may not be a sociable young man, but he knew when he was being threatened. He'd been threatened so many times, he was used to it by now.

Sending his eyes up to the embodiment of supernatural world, Issei's frown deepened. Her gaze upon him was no longer threatening. She almost looked shocked, and if Issei wasn't mistaken, frightened as well.

Not of him, but his words.

"You've wanted me to come to you; this world for so long." Issei said before his eyes narrowed in disbelief, "And even though it took me a while to come to terms with it, I came through."

"Issei..."

"It took me a while to realize that besides the Earth, you're my home too." He continued in genuine sadness, "And yet, even after that, you're willing to lock me away and kill me just so you can keep me for yourself."

He looked away, prompting the supernatural world's lips to quiver.

"I-Issei..." She tried to speak, but her words barely reach her lips, "I didn't mean..."

The supernatural world's hearts beat against her chest at Issei's words. The emotion creeping into her consciousness is unfamiliar to her, but she knows it's something she wants to get rid of quickly. She doesn't like this emotion that she's feeling.

Not hearing the rest of her reply, Issei blinked in puzzlement. Before he went to look up, he felt something wet drop onto his forehead. Blinking repeatedly, he glanced up to see the supernatural world staring sadly at him with watery eyes.

He doesn't know why, but he's surprised at the sight in front of him. The supernatural world crying. With genuine tears falling from her blue eyes.

She was still looking at him, but her stare was no longer possessive nor frightening. Her icy-blue eyes were shining with barely-suppressed melancholy, a sight that Issei knew all too well.

"Y-you are my visitor. I..." The supernatural world spoke, her breath wavering, "I would never want to hurt you. I-I'm sorry."

He feels like he's hallucinating, but he swears he can hear her voice faltering a bit. And to his surprise, she sounds genuinely sad. How could she go from affectionate, to threatening, and then suddenly melancholic?

"I'm sorry, Issei," The supernatural world repeatedly softly, "I'm sorry. I would never hurt you, I wouldn't."

As if to emphasize her words, the supernatural world cupped her visitor's cheek, caressing his skin gently. She leaned forward to press three more kisses to his cheek, leaving yet another crimson mark upon his skin.

"I love you, Issei." She continued, pressing another kiss to the tip of Issei's nose. "I love you dearly. I truly do."

Issei's eyes trailed back down, prompting the manifested world to nuzzle her cheek against his head.

"Issei." She murmured, her voice small and barely audible, "I am the supernatural world. I am unable to leave outside of my own boundaries."

Issei was silent as the supernatural world continued to speak.

"Issei...please?" The supernatural world softly spoke, "Please? I-if you go back to Earth, then I won't have you."

The Earth was his home.

"The Earth. I-it's not your true home. It's not your home." The supernatural world repeated with a quiver in her voice, "I'm the one who's supposed to be."

But whether he liked it or not, the supernatural world was his home, just as much as the Earth was.

"Please, Issei?" The supernatural world whispered, her blue eyes watering, "Please be mine."

She just wanted her visitor to stay. The same visitor who had successfully liberated her from Izanami-no-Mikoto's control. And because of that, the supernatural world had finally become a sentient entity of its own, without anyone else to abuse its power for their own purposes.

She had even formed a body of her own; with a dress and coat fit to her feminine shape, make-up that filled in every pore of her skin, penciled-in eyebrows, sharp pronounced cheekbones, and crimson-blood lips. She had done it all for her Issei; the one who had saved her...

And she had just threatened to kill him.

Why had she said all that? She would never do anything to harm him! Why would she; a vast world that desired to contain and smother her visitor, even think of wanting to kill him?

She wanted to clutch onto his small frame and nestle with him with the utmost affection she harbored for him. To shower him with her kisses until every part of his skin was colored in blood-crimson.

The supernatural world felt a strangle tremble in its female body, and it didn't like the sensation.

_Not at all_.

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><p><strong>P.S.<strong>

**I made an account on the High School DxD fanon website, and made a profile of the Supernatural World. Just remove the spaces, and you readers should get the website.**

** dxd fanon . wikia . com ****/ wiki/The_Supernatural_World**

**Come check it out if you're interested in seeing it :)**

**Please read & review :) **


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